It Started With A Photo REWRITTEN, PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW OR FAVOURITE
by WinniUsagi
Summary: Rejected after confessing her love to the smartest heartbreaker, Chiba Mamoru, Usagi becomes homeless with her father after their home is destroyed. Kind Mr. Koba offers to house them, but what happens when Mamoru is his son? Based off of Itazura Na Kiss. [CLOSED, PLEASE GO READ THE NEW VERSION]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sooooo this is pretty much my mix of another anime, **_**Itazura Na Kiss**_**, a Taiwanese drama, **_**It Started With A Kiss **_**(that's based off of Itazura Na Kiss, though) and Sailor Moon! And if you've never watched them, don't worry! All the episodes are on YouTube or you can just read this story and follow along (: **

**Note:**** There will be no senshi, talking cats, or space aliens. Everyone's normal. If you want to read a fanfic with Luna and Artemis talking, or crime-fighting, I suggest you turn back now. Also, I had to mix around the characters. For example, in the show, Naoki/Zhi Shu (Mamoru) has parents and a little brother, so I had to mix the characters around and add some. I'll also add more characters along the way as the story progresses, so if your favorite character isn't on this list now, chances are they'll show up later. Also, Usagi and Mamoru are both seniors in high school in the beginning of this fanfic.)**

**So here is the first chapter and I hope you enjoy it! **

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS!**_

**Chapter 1**

Tsukino Usagi stood on the bridge, nervous, and squeezed the piece of paper in her sweaty palm as the breeze slowly whirled around her, calming her racing heart. Today had to be the day. She worked all night last night on this letter, and her hard work would pay off soon.

She slowly walked forward and saw the familiar dark figure, reading a book while walking towards her. Chiba Mamoru. The hot genius in Class A, whom she had developed a burning passion for ever since she heard his speech at the Freshmen orientation 3 years ago. He was walking towards her. His shiny, ebony-black hair, his dark, midnight-blue eyes, that perfect figure, those lips...

Usagi shook her head and built up the courage to hold the letter up in front of her. Mamoru, as if she was sending a signal towards him, looked up from his book and saw her. This little girl, holding out a small piece of paper at him, her eyes looking hopeful as if he would take it, read it, and sweep her off her feet. He thought he recognized her as one of the ditzy, dumb girls from Class F. There were so many other girls out there who were smart, beautiful and perfect. What could she have to offer to him? He walked past her, uninterested.

He saw one of his buddies, Motoki, walking towards him from the building across and was about to continue walking towards him when he heard a THUMP behind him. He turned around and saw the blonde had fell down on the floor, a sad look of disbelief on her face. The piece of paper she was holding out to him earlier was still being held up in the air.

He sighed, walked over to her, and knelt down. "Could it be that you have nothing else better to do in your life?" He asked coldly, and walked away with Motoki. Usagi thought she heard him whisper, _"Baka Odango-Atama."_

Poor Usagi felt a knife drop on her heart. How could he have been so cruel? She thought, dropped the love letter she was holding up on the floor, and lost conscious as she heard voices surround her, asking her if she was all right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_Say that you love me…Say that you care…_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"WHAT?" Usagi yelled. "THE WHOLE SCHOOL SAW IT?"

"It's nothing, really." Aino Minako told her.

"YES IT IS!" Usagi smacked her forehead with her palm.

"The whole school saw the love letter you wrote to Chiba. So what?" Kino Makoto, Usagi's other friend asked. "It's no biggie. People write him and the other snobs in Class A love letters all the time." She remembered briefly about the time she was going to write one for Motoki, but decided to just forget it.

Usagi looked down and started to twist the end of one of her ponytails around her finger. "Yeah, but….it was just special. I worked _so hard _on it…."

Mizuno Ami, Usagi's third friend looked up from her book and pushed up her glasses. "Usagi-chan, it's okay. We have other things to worry about other than love right now. Like the midterms that are coming up. They might put you in a lower level depending on your score…" She went back to reading and, a bit more quietly, added, "_if_ that's possible."

"She's just upset that she got into Class B instead of A." Minako half-whispered to Mako and Usagi, who both giggled, but were immediately silenced by a stern look from Ami. The four friends were sitting in the remains of one of their usual hangouts- one of the old courtyards of their school, Juuban High. Ami, the genius of them who was in Class B, was reading "an interesting piece of literature with a wonderful storyline" while the three girls from Class F were trying to do their homework but could not help discussing the recent events. The whole school now knew that Tsukino Usagi, one of the ditzy girls from Class F, had a huge crush on the smartest heartbreaker in the neighborhood- Chiba Mamoru. He was the most ideal man, but never seemed to be interested in anyone. Usagi hit her forehead with her head again. "How could I be so _stupid_?" She asked her friends. "I _knew_ that he would reject me, yet I still…." She looked down and didn't even bother to finish her sentence.

Ami closed her book and turned to Usagi, a smile on her face. "Usagi-chan, as I said before, don't worry about it. In a few days, everyone will forget about it."

Usagi nodded, hoping that she was right. She had to look at this positively. Even though Mamoru knew the truth and had rejected her, at least she wouldn't be thinking about confessing her love to him anymore.

Minako smiled, too. "And isn't today the day you and your dad move into your new home?" She asked, and Usagi suddenly remembered. "Yes!" She exclaimed happily.

Makoto turned to them. "Y'know, since it's Friday and the weekend is here, we could go shopping for new things for your room! It'd be really fun!"

Usagi nodded excitedly, her ponytails bouncing up and down. "Yes!" She agreed, and immediately got up, a determined look on her face. "I'm going to start my new life, now, in my new home with my dad! Forget Chiba and the love letter! I'll find someone else, and everyone else will forget about the letter soon!"

"That's the spirit!" Her three friends replied as they got up too.

"Then, let's go!" Usagi grabbed her bag, and was about to walk further when Kou Seiya, one of her classmates, popped up out of nowhere. "Usagi!" He exclaimed. "How are you feeling about what happened earlier today?"

Usagi bit her lip and looked down. Minako and Ami sighed while Makoto looked angrily at him. "Seiya, she was about to forget about it and start over and—"

Seiya's eyes brightened when he heard Mako say "start over" about Usagi. He took one of Usagi's hands in his and held it up, ignoring her confused look. "Usagi, I've been waiting, ever since I met you on the first day of high school, to forget about Chiba. Now that you have, I no longer have any competition!"

Usagi opened her mouth to answer, but Seiya kept talking on. "Now, we can get married after high school ends! Usagi, I promise you, I'll take care of—"

Usagi yanked her hand away. "Seiya! We're only seniors! Don't you think we should at least _wait_?"

Seiya shook his head. "When one is in love, Usagi, time rushes by." He turned away from her, put one hand on his heart and extended out his other arm as if he was gesturing his hand to the sky. "I promise you, Usagi, I will love you forever and ever, until the end of time! I will do everything Chiba couldn't do! And, what's so great about that cold fellow, anyways? He doesn't love anyone—"He turned around and saw that no one was there. "….Usagi?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_Say that you love me…Say that you care…_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, what do you want the color of your bedroom to be, Usagi-chan?" Minako asked Usagi, who tapped her index finger on her chin, looking as if she was in deep thought. "Hmm….well, I always thought that pink would look nice….Oh! And some white bunnies would look really cute, too!"

"Hmm I wonder why you think that?" Ami asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow and all four of the girls burst into laughter.

The four girls were walking to Usagi's new home and discussing the joys of her new home ("No more sharing a bathroom with Papa!") when, all of a sudden, the ground started to shake. The girls immediately froze, looking at each other with a shared look of concern on their faces, Usagi's expression looking the most anxious.

Things from people's windowsills started falling down and breaking, but all the houses stayed rooted to the ground, strong as ever. And that's when Usagi remembered that her papa had built the house himself—they didn't have any earthquake insurance. Their house would be ruined!

All of a sudden, the minor earthquake ended and Usagi felt as if her legs and turned into jelly. She felt Mako rest her hand on her trembling shoulder and asked, "Usagi-chan, are you all right?"

Usagi could suddenly feel her body filled with energy again, and she screamed, "Papa!" as she ran quickly up the street to a heap of wood and bricks, where her dad, Tsukino Kenji, was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, with their four suitcases, looking sadly at a small photo frame in his hands. Ami, Mako and Minako followed behind her. She looked up at the ruins of her house, and shook her head in disbelief. "N-No…." She whispered, half-hyperventilating, and dropped down on her knees, burying her face in her palms. This couldn't be happening. This day couldn't get worse.

Mr. Tsukino turned and patted his sobbing daughter's head. "Usagi, it won't be bad. Please, don't cry." He looked down at the photo frame, which snuggled a photo of a smiling, bright violet-eyed woman with dark blue hair, wearing a white apron on top of her bright yellow and orange dress. "I know your mother is watching us in heaven, and she knows what's good for us and what's not. Maybe she thought this house wasn't a good idea for us…" Usagi could hear his voice cracking up a bit. She looked up and hugged her father. "Papa….Where are we going to live?"

"You could live with me, man!" Everyone turned around to see a smiling partly-rounded man behind Usagi's friends, his short black hair looking shiny as if he was sweaty a few moments ago. Mr. Tsukino slowly got up and walked over to the man, staring at his bright brown eyes. He squinted for a moment and then had a look of sheer happiness on his face. "Kobayashi!" He exclaimed, and the two embraced. "I haven't seen you since high school!" Kobayashi exclaimed and Mr. Tsukino nodded. "Yeah, it's been a while." He replied, and wiped away his tears, trying not to sniffle.

Usagi got up and her friends walked over to her. "Who is he, Usagi-chan?" Mako asked, and Usagi shrugged, wiping away her tears as well. "I don't know, I've never met him."

Kobayashi looked at the remains of the Tsukino's house and then turned to them. "You know, you guys can live with my family and I. We have lots of space, and my wife would be delighted to meet Usagi…she always wanted a daughter." He smiled at Usagi, who grinned slightly back and bowed a little. He turned back to Mr. Tsukino, who shook his head. "No, Koba…I don't want to impose—"

Kobayashi flung his arm around Mr. Tsukino. "You're still as formal as ever, Kenji. C'mon. I insist. It'll also be a great way to catch up."

Mr. Tsukino looked at his daughter, who was a bit red-eyed from crying too much, and pursed his lips. After a few moments of awkward silence he looked up at his best friend. "Thank you so much, Koba." He half-whispered, and hugged Kobayashi again. "But it's only until we get enough money from my restaurant to get back on our feet! And I'll try to pay you back somehow…" He told his friend, who cut off their embrace and shook his head. "Nonsense! That's what friends are for, Kenji!" He smiled, and Usagi felt a tiny grin appear on her face. She turned around and hugged her friends tightly, who were whispering "It's all right, you'll be fine" while she silently thanked her mother for helping her and Papa.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Meeting the right person is kind of a fate/I cannot disagree girls still need to know their standpoint….~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"We really appreciate what you're doing for us, Koba. We promise to move out as soon as we can." Mr. Tsukino said as he and Usagi carried their suitcases, following Kobayashi down the street to a large house with a large gate and bright lights shimmering around it.

Kobayashi turned around and smiled at them. "It's nothing, Kenji. We're best friends, and best friends help out one another in times of need. You and Usagi need a home, and so I'm helping you. It's nothing, really." He smiled at the two, and opened the gate with a key he took out of his pocket. He held open the door for the father and daughter, and then opened the bright maroon door to the big home.

"Ah, you're home? _Aiya_, you've been out on your run too long, Kobayashi. Dinner is almost ready." A female voice scolded from the kitchen.

Kobayashi chuckled. "Saori, come meet our guests." He called back to the voice.

The sound of two feet running towards the living room grew louder and louder until a sapphire-eyed woman came into sight, her wavy black hair trailing behind her as she came running towards them. Once she stopped in front of them, she dusted off her bright pink apron, smiled largely and bowed. "Konnichiwa, I'm Saori, Kobayashi's wife."

Kobayashi turned to her. "This is my best friend form high school, Kenji. He and his daughter needed a place to stay due to the small earthquake, so I offered them our home. Remember, I used to tell you about him?" She nodded excitedly and said to Mr. Tsukino, "Kobayashi has told me so many things about you!"

"Good things, I hope." Mr. Tsukino replied, and Saori nodded again. "And who's this?" She asked, turning to Usagi.

"My name is Usagi." Usagi replied, her voice kind of quiet from crying so much earlier that day, and Saori, without warning, immediately hugged her tightly and examined her face in her palms. "Oh my, you're so lovely!" She exclaimed, and Usagi smiled a bit. "I wish you were _my_ daughter!"

All of them started laughing, and then Saori clasped her hands together. "Please, please, come in, put your bags here." She grinned and showed where the two could keep their stuff. "We'll take them upstairs later. And _aiya_! You need to meet our two sons!" She turned towards the stairwell and yelled, "_Anatatachi_ [You guys!]_!_ Come down here!"

Usagi and Mr. Tsukino kept down their bags where Auntie told them and then heard two feet come stomping down. Usagi turned around and saw a short, sandy-haired boy wearing a green and yellow sweater and bright blue jeans. His turquoise eyes eyed Usagi in such a way that she felt as if he was annoyed by her presence. She smiled weakly and bowed. "I'm Usa—"

"I know, I heard you upstairs." He replied, and Usagi bit her lip. This was going to be hard. "So, what's your name? What grade are you in?" She asked, trying to keep the conversation friendly.

The boy sighed as if he was extremely irritated. "My name is Shingo and I'm in 4th grade."

Usagi smiled again. "Ah, the 4th grade. One of my favorite grades in elementary, you know—"

"Why? Were you the most stupidest kid?" Shingo shot at her.

"Shingo!" Saori shot him a look, her sapphire eyes gleaming angrily. "Be nice!" She turned to Usagi, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, he's just like that sometimes."

Usagi shook her head. "No, it's fine, Auntie."

Before anyone could respond, another person came down from the stairwell. Usagi turned around and froze. No, this couldn't be happening. It couldn't be possible. She knew Mama was watching her from above, and that this rough day that was ending smoothly could _not_ end in a complete downturn.

Right next to the stairwell was Chiba Mamoru.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You need to aim at the person you want/No longer want to wait?/I'll send you my lips and be yours… ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

**A/N:**** WOOT, CLIFFHANGERS! XD Sorry if you really wanted to know what happened next ;P**

**Plus, I've been thinking about changing Kinnosuke/Ah Jin/Seiya's character to **_**another**_** guy from Sailor Moon who likes Usagi, because Kinnosuke/Ah Jin is supposed to be a bit….immature but **_**really**_** in love with Usagi and keeps confessing his love for her by saying things like, "Let's get married!" or "I would walk on the Sun for you!". (Plus he works at Mr. Tsukino's restaurant) I was thinking about changing his character to Ginga Seijuro/Ali, but I keep thinking he's a bit too mature…anyone got any ideas? **

**Please review! (: If there are any "Itazura Na Kiss" fans out there, please don't critic too harshly! ^^;**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**** Thank you all for reviewing and favoriting/subscribing! ^_^ There seems to be a bit of confusion about "Itazura Na Kiss", "It Started With A Kiss", "Playful Kiss" and my story so I looked it up. Let me explain (I'll write this on the first chapter too, so people won't get confused): **

**Itazura Na Kiss is the Japanese anime/manga version, and yes, it was the first version of the story and the original. ISWAK (It Started With A Kiss) and PK (Playful Kiss) were the T.V. adaptations, ISWAK released in 2005 and being a Taiwanese soap opera while PK was released in 2010 being a Korean T.V. show. My story is based off of ISWAK, but I did NOT know that ISWAK was based off of Itazura Na Kiss. So for all of you Itazura Na Kiss fans out there that thought I stole the story, I'm sorry that I didn't explain it correctly. I hope everyone understands it now :D Thanks to Princess-Phara for pointing out all the disclaimer/show-adaptation mix-up. :D**

**A few announcements: First—I've decided that I'm not going to **_**exactly copy verbatim**_** ISWAK for this story. I mean, the plot concept will remain the same and stuff, but I'm not going to copy the exact same scenes for some parts. So, for example, in ISWAK, there's an episode where Xiang Qin (she'd be Usagi in this story) is attacked by two bus perverts. I'm not going to have that in this story….I might have something similar, but it'd be more PG. If that doesn't make sense, then that's okay, because I'm not entirely sure how to phrase it XD Second— I might need to change the rating of this fanfic for some reasons….don't worry, it won't be rated M! And third—I've decided to keep Seiya as Ah Jin. (:**

**Hooray! Now that that's cleared up, off to Chapter 2! Enjoy!**

**Oh and P.S.- I believe a little flame will begin in this chapter! (;**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS OR IT STARTED WITH A KISS!**_

**Chapter 2**

"Usagi, could you pass me the soup?" Mr. Tsukino asked as he gently dabbed his mouth with a napkin, pointing at his target, which was on his daughter's left. Usagi silently nodded and picked up the large, bright blue bowl containing Auntie Saori's "special secret" soup and handed it to her father, who seemed to be rather enjoying the food. "I would like to try _everything_ here—you cook delicious food, Saori-san! The food at my restaurant doesn't even _compare_ to this…" He started pouring some of the soup into a small clean bowl next to his dirty plate.

Saori blushed and Kobayashi patted Kenji on the back. "Don't be complimenting her too much, Kenji, otherwise she'll feed you by force and you'll be wishing you never praised her food!" The two burst into laughter and Saori shot Kobayashi a half-stern, half-amused look.

All six of them were in the dining room of the Chiba household, a bright yellow room with a large poster of the Chiba family and a large, decorated brown table, while eating Auntie Saori's tasty food. While the three adults continued catching up with each other, discussing all the events they had missed in each other's lives, Shingo seemed a bit too engrossed in his food, wolfing down his fish stew but kept glaring at Usagi every now and then, as Mamoru ate his dinner silently. Usagi, who was silent as well, did not feel like eating Auntie's scrumptious curry and rice though. Instead, she was trying to put the whole puzzle together. She could feel a voice inside of her screaming loudly and incoherently, extremely confused. Wonderful Uncle Koba and kind Auntie Saori couldn't have been Mamoru's parents….could they? How could the most coldest person on Earth have the most caring and sympathetic parents ever? It didn't make sense!

She absentmindedly poked the small piece of carrot in the middle of her plate with her fork a few times. That carrot was lucky. It didn't have any problems. It didn't have to care about love. It didn't have to worry about exams. It didn't have to worry about moving into the house of the guy who rejected you that morning. It just had to be eaten and that was that. It was that simple.

Shingo set down his glass of milk from his milk-mustache and saw the blonde poking the carrot on her plate. "Oi! You're supposed to pick up the carrot and chew on it! Are you _that_ stupid?" He shot at her.

Saori was just about to yell at him for his rudeness when Usagi realized what she was doing and then gasped. "CARROTS?" She squealed, and started to blow it away until it reached the edge of her plate, far away from the rest of her delicious food.

"How ironic," Mamoru muttered as he lifted his glass of water to his face. "The rabbit doesn't like carrots."

Saori turned to Kobayashi, her eyes gleaming angrily. "Kobayashi, why didn't you tell me Usagi didn't like carrots? I never would've put them in the food!"

Usagi shook her head. "It's all right, Auntie. I should've told you. It was my fault." She told her, and Saori bit her lip. Then she patted her hand. "I'll remember next time, Usagi."

After a few moments of awkward silence, a _ding_ came from the kitchen, and Saori's sapphire eyes brightened. "The sweet buns are ready!" She sprung out of her chair happily and turned to Usagi. "Usagi, would you be a dear and do the dishes for me?" She asked happily, and ran into the kitchen.

Usagi silently got out of her seat and started to pick up the plates off the table for Saori. She felt extremely grateful when her dad asked Mamoru what his interests were when she was near the handsome guy, adding his plate to the tall stack in her arms, although she was 100% sure he could hear her hammering heart pounding the walls of her chest.

As she walked into the kitchen, she saw Saori looking even happier than before at her, her smile stretched widely. Usagi felt awkward and took a step backward. "Auntie, are you okay….?"

"Wha…?" Saori seemed to be in a daze, and then shook her head, still smiling. "Yes, I'm fine!" She grabbed the dishes from Usagi's arms and, almost carelessly, set them in the sink. "We'll worry about these later!" She exclaimed happily before Usagi could say anything, seized the plate of sweet buns she had gathered from the oven a few moments ago and walked into the dining room with Usagi. "Here they are! Eat them while they're hot!" Saori exclaimed, set them in the middle of the table, and sat down while the two adult males and Shingo gladly reached in and grabbed a sweet bun or two. Kenji and Kobayashi then decided to continue catching up in front of the television and left for the living room, leaving Saori, Usagi, Mamoru and Shingo alone at the table. Saori, who felt as if this long silence was unnecessary, turned to Usagi. "So, Usagi, which grade are you in?"

"I'm a senior in high school." She replied, and took a bite of the warm sweet bun, tasting the delicious red bean paste in her mouth. She felt as if its' warmth could dry away all the tears she had shed the whole day, and as if it was making her smile for the first time in hours.

"_Aiya!_ Mamoru is, too! That must mean you two go to the same school!"

Usagi suddenly felt the piece of sweet bun turn into a lump in her throat, and she forced it down. She slowly nodded, and Saori clasped her hands together. "That's wonderful! I always felt disappointed when I knew that Mamoru was walking to and from school alone, but now you two can walk together!"

Mamoru began to choke on his water and set his glass down, coughing loudly. Saori ignored this and continued to ask her questions. "Are you two in the same class?" She asked.

"Of course not! He's in Class A! Why would elder brother be in the same class as this dummy?" Shingo snapped, and was given a silencing look by Saori, but he went on. "Elder brother is the smartest in the whole school! He always makes number one on the exams! Why would _she_ be in his class?"

"_Aiya! _No one asked for your opinion, did they?" Saori retorted, irritated, and Shingo quickly grabbed another sweet bun from the plate, nibbling on it while eyeing pointedly at Usagi.

Usagi bit her lip and smiled weakly as she pulled on her left ponytail. "No, we're not. I'm actually in Class F…"

Shingo smirked and quietly whispered, "Told you so" as Mamoru got up. "I'm going to bed." He muttered, and turned around to leave when Saori got up, too. "Oh, I have to show Usagi and Kenji where they're going to sleep!" She tapped her index finger on her chin. "Ah…..Kenji, you can have the guest bedroom," She exclaimed to the man sitting on the couch with her husband, and then turned to the young blonde beside her. "And Usagi, you can have Shingo's room!" She exclaimed delightedly.

Shingo, who was obviously enraged by this, sat up immediately. "WHAT? WHERE AM _I_ GOING TO SLEEP?" He asked angrily, his face extremely red. If he had green hair, his face would've looked like a tomato.

Usagi turned to Saori, her eyes wide. "N-No, it's fine, Auntie! I can share the guest bedroom with Papa—"

"No, no, the guest bedroom's too small for the both of you! You can have Shingo's room; he and Mamoru can share a room!"

"But I don't want to—"

"So it's absolute." Saori announced firmly. "Kenji will have the guest room, Usagi will have Shingo's room and Shingo and Mamoru will share Mamoru's room."

"Ma—" Mamoru tried to interject, but Saori's decision was final. She took Usagi's arm. "Come on, dear child, let me show you your new room." She said sweetly, and dragged her up the stairs, ignoring her protests about the rooms decision.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I know a girl, she's innocent, cheerful and cute, waiting for someone to give her 3000 love….~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Almost done!" Saori promised, and Usagi sighed as she heard more moving sounds from the bedroom across her. Saori had made her stand out in the hallway (after she gave her a largely-detailed tour of all the rooms on the second floor) while she "re-decorated" Shingo's room, to which the door was closed. Usagi had tried to stop her because she wanted to sleep as soon as possible, and Shingo kept glaring at her furiously whenever he passed by her, taking his old stuff from his former room and walking it over to Mamoru's, which made her wonder what the genius' room looked like.

"There! You can come in now, Usagi!" Saori called out, and, without waiting, opened the door for Usagi, revealing a bedroom that was decorated as if it was a little girl's room. The walls were a pale rose and there was a large, bright yellow bed on which lots of stuffed animals sat, along with bright, puffy pillows. Next to the bed was a white desk with a mirror, a few textbooks and a pencil case. "Oh, Auntie…."

"I had to change Shingo's room from a little boy's room to an elder girl's! I swear, boys these days are so weird, right? They never understand the true beauty of the things we women like! But I packed away all his stuff and—"

"Auntie, you didn't have to do this…" Usagi told her, walked over to the bed and sat on it, staring at the bedspread admirably, feeling its' soft cotton, which felt like she was sitting on a cloud up in heaven.

"_Aiya, _it's nothing!" She smiled, and sat next to her. "You know, I've always wanted a daughter. One as beautiful as you." She said, and Usagi could feel a tiny blush color her cheeks. "I've always wanted a mama." Usagi could not help but whisper, and Saori's smile dropped a bit. "I'm so sorry." She said, but Usagi shook her head, still smiling. "It's all right. I guess I don't know what I'm missing, because I don't remember her that well. She died when I was just a year old." She looked down at her fists in her lap, which were clenched and were starting to get rained on by her constant tears.

Saori extended her arm around Usagi's shoulders. "Usagi, it's all right. You know, I'm always here for you." She bent her head a bit lower to meet Usagi's sad cerulean eyes, and wiped her tears off her cheek with her finger.

Usagi looked up at the kind woman and nodded. "You're the closest I've ever had to a mother, Auntie. Thank—"

"No!" Saori said strictly, and Usagi was surprised by her tone. Saori clasped her hands with Usagi's. "There will be no 'thank you's or 'please's between us!" She told her, and Usagi nodded, smiling as she felt a strange kind of warmth, a kind she had never sensed before, the woman was sending out to her as she kept her hugged to her chest.

Saori cut off the embrace after a moment, and then kissed the top of the girl's forehead. "It's time for you to go to sleep, Usagi." She said, and got up from the bed as Usagi nestled herself underneath the comfy blanket. She turned off the lights and felt a mixture of love and happiness stirring inside of her as she glanced at the beautiful girl in the bed a few feet in front of her drift off to sleep.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Don't need to be very wealthy, don't need to be very handsome…..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Oi, dummy, pass me a muffin, will you?" Shingo told Usagi before he drank a sip of milk from his glass.

Usagi nodded as she gulped the piece of sweet bun in her mouth and was about to reach for a muffin when Saori grabbed her hand and brought it back to her side. "_Aiya,_ Shingo, why must you be so mean to our guest? Get your muffin yourself!" She retorted, and Shingo shrugged. "She's not too bright," he simply said, and grabbed a muffin from the basket on the table as Saori shook her head and thought of how she was going to fix Shingo's behavior.

Usagi, however, had bigger problems. _What am I going to tell everyone when they ask how the place I live at is?_ She thought nervously._ Will Mamoru be nicer to me at school and at home, then? What if he's colder than before? What if someone sees us walking to or from school together? What will people think?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by two pairs of feet stomping down the stairs, their owner muttering "Morning" as he walked over to the table where Kobayashi, who was reading the newspaper, Shingo and Usagi were eating breakfast. Kenji had apologized earlier for not being able to be there for their first breakfast all together, but he had to help out his assistant at his restaurant.

She looked up and saw Mamoru, sitting in the chair next to Shingo, the chair across her, starting to munch on a piece of toast, in his school uniform, his cold-as-ever expression, his beautiful, shiny black hair…

Shingo looked up from his eating his muffin and looked from Usagi to Mamoru. "Hey, stop drooling over my brother, _baka_!" He shot at her, and she blinked a few times, shaking her head as she remembered where she was. She covered her hand with her mouth to check if she _had_, indeed, been drooling, and turned to Shingo, her expression annoyed. "I'm not drooling!" She replied as she looked away from the two of them, wondering how someone could _not_ drool over Mamoru.

Saori then arrived from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her bright pink floral apron, her eyes shining widely. "Usagi, Mamoru, it's almost time to go to school! You know, Usagi, I'm so happy you're with us! Now Mamoru won't have to go to school alone, and you two can even bond while you two are together!" She exclaimed, and Usagi immediately looked down at her palms in her lap, feeling herself turn extremely red. _What would people think if they saw us together?_ She thought again, and then continued looking down. She didn't want to look at Mamoru's expression, even though she had a good idea as to what it'd look like.

She heard Mamoru sigh. "Ma, I don't like stupid girls. Plus, she'll just slow me down and I'll always be late." He replied, but Saori just waved her hand at him. "No. You know how scared I get when you walk to school alone."

"But he's never alone! I always walk with him—" Shingo started, but Saori clasped her hand over his large mouth. "But you haven't even thought about her! She's your age! I don't want a young girl like her to be walking alone. You know what kind of people are out there…." She shuddered, but Mamoru seemed unmoved. "Personally, I don't care what happens to her. Maybe she'll just bore those people with her boring, stupid talk that they'll leave her alone." He said, continuing his breakfast.

Usagi's head shot back up. "What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded angrily. When Mamoru didn't reply, she crossed her arms. "Auntie, it's okay." She said before Saori could apologize for her elder son's cold attitude. "I don't want to walk with him, either." And with that, she got up irritably, picked up her bag, put on her shoes, and stomped out the door.

After a few moments of silence, Saori shook her head. This wasn't going to work if she wanted the two to end up together.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~She has a bad temper/Sometimes you need to tolerate, Sometimes you must be patient….~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi's angry mind had made her forgotten if she was even heading for the right direction to school, as she didn't care what she was doing, as long as she could vent out her frustration. "I can't believe he was so mean!" She said, not caring who was around her, and started mumbling angry thoughts under her breath. "What did he mean by he didn't like stupid girls? And that'd I'd 'slow him down'?" She asked herself, and continued walking, her ponytails dancing happily in the wind, which was the exact opposite of her current mood. "Was he implying that I'm stupid? I may not be the smartest girl in the world, but I'm _not_ stupid _or_ slow!" She growled, and kept venting on. "And he doesn't care what happens to me? That I'll 'bore those people' with my 'stupid talk'? Is he saying I'm not attractive enough for those thugs? That I'm not _important_ enough? I'll show him that I _am_ important! I'm not stupid or slow, either!"

She then stopped, her temper slowly starting to drop, and looked down at her feet, which were burning from her angry decision to scrape them dangerously with the sidewalk to help her venting. _What if he _was_ right, though? _She thought. _He's a genius, he should know how good or bad people are by just looking at them…._

She sighed and shook her head, her face scrunching up into a pout. "Too many thoughts! This is too much for a young girl like me!" She complained, and looked up, taking note of her surroundings for the first time since she left the house. She was definitely far away from the street which the house was on, and had no idea where she was. She was lost.

"Uh-oh…." Usagi looked around, and saw a man on the other side of the road, his back turned to her. "Excuse me, sir, could you guide me to _ichiban_ street?" She called out, relieved that there was someone to ask directions from, and that she remembered the name of the street as she started walking over to him, but immediately stopped in her tracks when he turned around and saw his face.

His eyes had bags underneath them, which probably resulted from lack of sleep, and his frightening black eyes stared at her, a disturbing smile creeping onto his pale face. "Why _sure_, babe." He purred as he took his twitchy hands out of his baggy pants pocket, and Usagi took a step back. "But you know what? How about instead we go over to my place, you know? Get some things cookin'?"

Usagi could not find her voice as he continued walking over to her and felt as if she was just pinned on that specific spot. But when he was a mere two feet away from her, she started backing away quickly. "U-Um, you know what? I think I can find it m-myself! I mean, it's not like this neighborhood is too c-complicated, right?" She whimpered, but he kept walking towards her, his sick eyes filled with greed. Her lower lip quivered, and then she bolted.

She ran as fast as her legs would let her, and quietly cursed her school uniform shoes for being so hard to hurry in. She turned around and saw the creep continuing to dash behind her, his smile uncanny as ever and she screamed. "Oh _why_?" She cried to herself. "Why didn't I just let him insult me and why, oh God, _why didn't I agree to walk with him?_"

Suddenly, she felt a cold hand grab hers, and she screamed again. The sicko had caught her right hand with his left, his smile so greedily sick. She shook her head, and tried to run, but his grasp was too strong. "Hey, babe, why you running?" He asked, his voice low and scary. "You and I would make a perfect couple." His eyes looked at her evilly, and he whispered, "I'll show you things no one has ever shown you before."

Usagi tried to scream once more, but she had lost her voice and all she could make out was, "Let me go, bastard!" in a small whimper.

The creep grimaced angrily at her, and tightened his grip on her wrist, which made her wince and have more tears falling down her face. "I'll give you one last chance. Say that you love me and we can go to my place as a happy couple," He snarled, and gave a nod to the knife in his belt, "It's your choice babe. You can go to my place with me together or in pieces." Usagi pursed her lips angrily and shook her head, whispering, "Never." This angered him even more, as he roared, "FINE!" and raised his second hand to hurt her with his knife. She closed her eyes, knowing it was the end, when—

"Stop." A cool voice ordered, and Usagi opened her eyes. There, preventing the creep's right hand in midair from descending down to pierce Usagi's trembling, outstretched arm was another arm. She looked up and saw Mamoru, his arm tightly clutching the creep's, whose expression was shocked as his grip on Usagi loosened. "According to the law, it's illegal to assault an individual of the opposite sex." Mamoru said, and the creep kept trying to pull his arm away from his tight grasp, "I didn't do nothin', man!" He protested. "The l'il girl was just lost, and I was just showin' her where…..um….._go-ban _street was!" He dropped the knife. "And this knife, I just keep for self-security, you know—"

"Shut up." Mamoru said, and the guy immediately hushed. Mamoru then turned to Usagi, and extended his right arm to her. "Usagi, come here." He commanded, and Usagi instantly grabbed his hand, extremely happy that he had appeared. He pulled her towards his back and she hid closely behind him, inhaling his scent as she watched him let go of the creep, who, at once, ran away from their sight.

As soon as the creep was gone, Usagi could feel her heart pounding loudly as Mamoru spoke directly to her for the first time that day- "Let's go", and the two started walking together on the right path to school. "U-Um, Mamoru?" She pursed her lips and looked up at him. "T-thank you for saving me. If you hadn't appeared, then…." She didn't finish her sentence.

Mamoru rolled his eyes and muttered something underneath his breath about "slow girls slowing me down". Usagi didn't say anything and looked down until he spoke again. "I guess Ma will be ecstatic to hear that we have to walk together then." He said, and Usagi's heart gave a leap. Walking together with Mamoru….was he doing it so that she didn't get in trouble? Did that mean he really cared about her?

As if he read her mind, he spoke again, "I'm doing it just so that she'll get off my back. She won't stop bothering me until I agree to walk with you." He sighed, and Usagi felt a pang of guilt. Did this mean he was being forced into walking with her? That Auntie wouldn't let him go until he did as she said? Is that why he was so cold to people? Because his relationship with his parents stunk?

Swarmed by these questions, Usagi didn't realize that they had suddenly reached the school. Before she could walk into the gates, though, he grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Surprised, she looked at him, a bit shocked. He looked to the side, and Usagi wondered if her eyes were the most disgusting thing for him to look at. She looked away, too, and he let go of her wrist. "Don't tell anyone we're living together." He ordered, and Usagi nodded simply.

"Hey, Mamoru!" Usagi heard his friend, Motoki call out, and Mamoru nodded at him. He quickly shot a warning glance at Usagi to remember what he told her, and then replied to his friend. "Hey, Motoki."

Usagi thought maybe it was just her loud, ringing ears, who were a bit astonished from the recent current events, that were making her hear things, but she could've sworn she heard him say, "You're welcome."

**A/N:**** WOOT, WOOT! I **_**FINALLY**_** FINISHED THIS CHAPTER! OH THANK GOD! T_T Honestly, I thought I'd **_**never **_**get this up! . I think I used the words "creep" and other "angry" words too much in this chapter…..oops. -_- **

**Soooo? Whaddya think? I'm sick right now, so do a sick person a favor and review? (:**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**** Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading/subscribing/reviewing! I was so caught up with homework and trying to get the last chapter out that I forgot to answer the questions that were written in the reviews! -_- My bad….**

**Mizqt: No, I didn't. As said before, this fanfic is based off of It Started With A Kiss (which is based off of Itazura Na Kiss), and in the story, Xiang Qin's house is destroyed by a minor earthquake. :P**

**TropicalRemix: Haha well maybe his personality will change? And yes, Usagi and her dad are living with Mamoru and his family now. **

**I had to watch a few episodes to remember what happened, so if there are any fans out there that think I wrote anything wrong, forgive me. :P I also added a little bit of Macbeth in Usagi's homework. (;**

**So here's Chapter 3, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer! I don't own Sailor Moon, Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss, OR Macbeth (OH GOD I SAID THE CURSED PLAY'S NAME)!**

**Chapter 3**

Usagi looked down at her lunchbox which had two large containers- one with chicken noodles, another with fish stew, and a box with two big sweet buns. Nestled between the two containers was a small, pink piece of paper that, in blue ink, had the words:

_Usagi,_

_I packed a large lunch because I didn't know how much you normally ate. I hope I packed enough; a growing girl needs lots and lots of food! _

_I hope you have a wonderful day at school!_

_Saori Mama_

_P.S. Don't forget to walk back home with Mamoru! _

Next to Mamoru's name was a small drawing Auntie had drawn of herself, the tiny drawing winking at the reader and holding up a 'V' shape with her index and middle fingers. Usagi turned a bit bright red as she read the last sentence a few hundred times. This felt all too unreal, her living with Mamoru and his family, her having to walk to and from school with him…

"Hey Usagi-chan!" Minako's loud voice rang through her ears and she shoved the note back into her lunchbox, trying to hide it between her two containers, and she smiled at her approaching friend. "Hey Minako-chan!" She responded, trying to sound as cheerful as she always was.

Makoto and Ami appeared behind the second blonde, and they sat down next in the seats next to Usagi as Minako plopped down in the seat across from her and started to fire away her questions.

"How's the house you live in? Is it large? Is it creepy? Do they have an ARCADE ROOM LIKE RICH PEOPLE DO?" She asked, her voice deafening, causing some people in the classroom to turn around and stare at her.

"M-Minako-chan, please keep your voice down…" Usagi asked, looking around at the stares that were staring at them. "The house is pretty big, and Koba-san is really nice. His wife, Auntie Saori, is very compassionate towards me and treats me like her daughter—"

Minako's blue eyes widened. "Does that mean….OH MY GOD! DOES THAT MEAN THEY HAVE _SONS_?" She screamed again, and more people turned around this time to glare at Minako, who was oblivious of her loud-speaker voice.

"Minako-chan, quite down….people are staring." Makoto told her and Minako nodded. "Do you mean there are _boys_ who live with you, Usagi-chan?" She repeated, and without giving her friend a moment to answer, went on. "Who are they? What're their names? How old are they? Are they _hot_?" She asked, winking at the last one.

Usagi bit her lip and remembered what Mamoru had told her earlier that morning—_"Don't tell anyone we're living together."_ His words kept echoing through her head, and she couldn't get them out. After a moment of awkward silence between the four, Usagi shook her head. "No, they don't. Auntie Saori has always wanted kids, preferably a girl, but she doesn't have any. Or at least I don't think so."

Minako scowled. "Darn it." She muttered as she looked down, upset and Ami giggled. "It's okay, Minako-chan. I'm sure you can play matchmaker with Ami-chan." Usagi told her, and Ami turned a bright shade of pink while Mako started laughing. "Usagi-chan!" Ami scolded, her face reddening even more, and her three friends started laughing.

Ami angrily picked her book back up and looked as if she were reading when Minako rested her hand on the bluenette's shoulder. "C'mon, Ami-chan. You need the love. Life isn't always about reading and studying!"

Before Ami could respond, the door slammed open. Everyone looked back at the corner of the room and watched Minako, Mako and Usagi's homeroom teacher, Haruna-sensei, walk in, her eyes red from obvious bawling, staring at the floor sadly as her pink heels dragged across the floor. Complete silence filled the room as everyone watched her plop down on the seat of her desk, looking miserable. "What's wrong, Haruna-sensei?" Makoto asked, her voice breaking the silence.

"The principal thinks that I don't teach well…" Haruna said, her voice sounding like it was about to crack. "And he said that unless all of your grades improve, they'll fire me!"

Gasps filled the room as Haruna broke into sobs on her desk. A few students walked up to her to comfort her, and Ami looked at her friends, her blue eyes wide in shock. "This doesn't make sense. Why would they fire Haruna-sensei?"

"You're in a different class, Ami-chan." Minako replied, shook her head, and sat back in her chair, her arms crossed. "You probably won't understand since you're a Class B smarty."

"They think that just because you're the lowest class, you can't do anything! They think you're stupid and helpless!" Haruna-sensei's loud, wailing voice rung throughout the classroom, and Ami put her fist to her chest. "That's terrible…" She whispered as she shook her head.

This upset Usagi, and she stood up angrily as she slammed her fist on her desk, her bright blue eyes shining and ignoring the stares from her classmates and Haruna-sensei. "Well, we're _not_ stupid nor helpless! We _can_ do something!" She exclaimed, and marched over to the door.

"Usagi-chan, where are you going?" Her friends called out after her, but she ignored them as she slammed the door open. She exited the Class 4-F classroom and ignored the stares, finger-pointing and whispering gossip about her love letter. She kept walking until she reached her destination: the main office.

"Where's Aori-san?" Usagi asked, her cerulean eyes angry. A few adults looked up and they stared at her, an angry, little blonde who looked as if she had too many bad things in her life already. As if on cue, a large, fat, bald man in a suit and tie came out of a room, rolling a yellow yo-yo in his hand as he whistled nonchalantly. He stopped whistling as he looked around and saw all the staff members looking up at the angry girl, and he sighed as he walked over to her. "Can I help you, Tsukino-san?" He asked boringly.

"Why are you going to fire Haruna-sensei?" Usagi demanded, and Principal Aori laughed. "She's not doing her job. All the Class 4-F students fail during exam time, and so she needs to be replaced."

Usagi opened her mouth to respond, but then she realized he was right. But it couldn't have been Haruna-sensei. Her class always procrastinated during class time, and no one really bothered to pay attention or do their homework. But she couldn't tell him it was the students' faults….

When she didn't respond, Aori laughed again. "See? I'm right, aren't I?" He turned around and started to walk away. "Don't worry, though, I'm sure she'll have a nice time living in the streets, working three jobs at a time—"

"You're wrong!" Usagi yelled, and he turned around, his brown eyes staring at her. "Excuse me?"

Usagi couldn't take this. First, being rejected by the guy she loved for four years. Next, living in the same house as him. Now, her teacher was going to be fired? No! "You think Class 4-F can't do anything just because we're the lowest class?" She said, and Aori smirked. "Hmmm let me think…" He said, sneering, but his facial expression suggested, "yes".

"Well, I _will_ prove you wrong! I, Tsukino Usagi, promise to get onto the Top 100 list for the next exam!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Why did she fall in love with him?/What was she thinking?…..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi stared at her English textbook, in hopes that her staring at it would have the words magically lift off the page, jump up, and fly into her mind, making her smarter within seconds. Instead, the only thing that was floating in her mind was what Mamoru had told her after school, when she came up to him to walk home with him….

_"Mamoru!" Usagi waved to him, seeing him near the gate, and started to run up to him, ready to walk home with him. She had told her friends she had to go to the library to study extra hard for the upcoming finals so she wouldn't have to tell them that she walked home with the school's most coolest, handsomest genius. However, when she finally snapped back to reality, she lost control of her legs and crashed into his chest. "S-Sorry!" She apologized, rubbing her head with her palm. She expected him to say, "That's all right", or "Be careful next time", but instead, he held up four fingers, a strict look on his face. "Listen to me, as I am only going to say this once." His index finger folded against his palm. "One, do not hit me or bump into me." He said, staring coldly at her. She nodded, pursing her lips, and his middle finger then folded against his palm. "Two. I will only show you the route to school once this time because this morning was very distracting. But this is the last time I shall walk to or from school with you. Three." His ring finger went down. "Do not tell anyone about our living arrangements." She opened her mouth to respond that he had already told her that, but his eyes were so scary that she immediately shut her mouth. "Four." His pinky finger completed the fist. "Do not ever talk to me." He finished, turned around, and continued walking. Usagi, who was flabbergasted by the recent events, stood there for a while, and then realized that her only way back home was already walking away. "W-Wait!" She called out, and ran after him, her ponytails dancing in the wind behind her. _

Usagi chewed on her pen that had a little bunny on the end, and sighed. "Why is he so mean to me?" She asked herself, and then hit her head against her book. After a few moments, she rose up and looked at the question she had been trying to solve for the past hour:

_Translate what Macbeth says to Lady Macbeth in this sentence: "Bring forth men-children only, for thy undaunted mettle should compose nothing but males. Will it not be received, when we have marked with blood those two sleepy two of his own chamber and used their very daggers, that they have done 't?" _

Usagi moaned as she hit her head against the book again. "Was this a bad idea? Should I have kept my mouth shut when Principal Aori said our class was stupid and that he'd fire Haruna-sensei?" She wondered out loud, and then heard the door open. She looked up and saw Saori Mama in the doorway, wearing her kitchen outfit, her facial expression a bit concerned. "Usagi, are you all right?" She asked, and walked inside the room while Usagi bobbed her head up and down, her odangos bouncing a bit on her head. "Yes, Auntie Saori…I'm just trying to study for the upcoming exams. I said I'd get on the top 100 list, but I'm in Class F, and I don't know how I can do this...it's all too hard!"

Saori's head tilted to the side. "Why don't you just ask Mamoru?" She asked, and Usagi bit her lip. "He doesn't seem too fond of me. Also, I don't want to bother him—"

"Nonsense!" Saori exclaimed, and Usagi jumped in her seat from her abrupt change in volume. "You're our guest, Usagi, and when you need help, it's our job to help!" Saori exclaimed, slamming her fist in her palm. Usagi flinched and then shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. He won't teach me, I'm sure. But I'll try to do this on my own! After all, that's how Mamoru became smart, right?"

Saori's face fell for a moment, and then a smile crept onto her face, her perfect teeth starting to look fangs from Usagi's point of view. "Auntie Saori….?" She asked, a bit freaked out.

"You wait right here!" Saori exclaimed excitedly, and then rushed out of the room, her long brown hair and the ribbons of her apron trailing off behind her. Before Usagi could ask what she was doing, she was back in the room within five seconds. In her hands was a large pink book with golden ribbon embroidered on the edges. "This'll solve your problems!" She told Usagi, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she sat on Usagi's bed. "Shut the door and then come sit here with me."

Usagi closed the white door, walked over to the bed, and then sat next to an ecstatic Saori. "Usagi, this book will help you!" She said, and opened it to the first page, where, in large gold letters, it had the words "My lovely daughter: Chiba Akiko."

"Chiba….Akiko…?" Usagi asked, confused. Saori nodded as she took off her bandana. "When I first found out I was pregnant, I was delighted because I thought I was going to have a daughter. Every day, I'd stitch girly clothes for my unborn child such as kimonos or skirts. I even had a name for her, and I bought this book so that I could keep all the memories of her. But when Mamoru was born, I had decided that even though he was a boy, I couldn't let the clothes go to waste. At least 30 pairs of clothing gone to waste? No! And I wasn't going to wait to be pregnant again. So…." Saori turned the page and Usagi's cerulean eyes widened as her mind took in all the information in front of her. Her jaw dropped and was the size of her odangos as she blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. After a few moments of awkward staring, she pointed at one of the items in the book. "Auntie, is it all right if I borrow this?"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Did she forget gorgeous guys cannot be loved?...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"….She is working very hard to reach to the top! So everyone, give Tsukino Usagi your support!" And with that, Principal Aori stopped speaking and the intercom clicked off. The 4-F classroom was silent for a few moments, and a few people coughed. Usagi's fish stew had turned into a lump in her throat and she tried hard to swallow it down. Principal Aori had just announced to the whole school that Tsukino Usagi ("W_ho everyone knows better as the girl who confessed to Chiba Mamoru and was rejected publicly"_ Usagi thought), a girl from Class 4-F had declared that she would make it on to the Top 100 list for the upcoming exams, and that everyone should give her their support. Now there'd be more gossip about her. As if things couldn't get worse.

"Geez, Usagi-chan." Makoto took a bite of her food. "The whole school is talking about what you said the other day." Her emerald eyes shimmered with concern, and Usagi nodded sadly. "I know. Sometimes I wish think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea."

"Don't worry, Usagi!" Seiya's loud voice rang through her ears, and she saw Seiya, sitting to her left, a large smile on his face. "I could teach you! I'll be your mentor, and I'll help you understand everything!"

"But Seiya, we're in the same class, and you know just as much—"

"That's it!" Seiya took Usagi's hands and held them in his. "It'll be our little 'Love Tutoring'! Just you and me together…" His voice trailed off, and Usagi carefully yanked her hands away. "Seiya—"

All of a sudden, there was a loud, ear-bursting squeal that screamed, "IT'S CHIBA MAMORU!"

Usagi, along with the rest of the classroom, turned around to see Mamoru standing in the doorway of Class 4-F. "Classmate Tsukino Usagi. Will you come outside with me, please?" He asked, and the whole room was quiet. Minako elbowed Usagi, who was still as a statue, and whispered, "Maybe he's changed his mind! Maybe he's here to ask you out, Usagi-chan!" There was a cough or two here and there, and Usagi slowly stood up.

Seiya stood up, too, and ran up to Mamoru. "Chiba Mamoru! Stay away from my Usagi! Aren't you ashamed of already hurting her and then coming here to hurt her even further?" He demanded, and Mamoru rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "I have no intention of coming here, Kou." He told him, then faced Usagi again. "Bring your bag, too." He added, and she grabbed her pink bag as she stumbled out of her chair. She heard a few whispers here and there as she followed Mamoru out the door, and hoped no one would see them walking together out.

She followed him out of the building and near the gate, where he opened his bag and took out a tiny, cream-colored bag with a pink bow, inside which there was a few deodorants and soaps. She gasped. Her gym private things!

"I think my mother misplaced these." He said, and Usagi ripped open her bag and saw there was a small black bag inside hers, which was filled with cologne and other man stuffs. She grabbed it and exchanged it with Mamoru for her things. In the mean time, Seiya, Ami, Minako, and Mako were standing behind a tree, watching the two.

"What are they exchanging?" Mako whispered, and Minako shrugged. Ami, who looked extremely nervous, tugged on Minako's sleeve, trying not to watch the current subject of their spying. "Minako-chan, this isn't right!" She said anxiously, but Minako simply waved her off. "Oh, Ami, hush!" She whispered and tried to bend over to get a closer look at Usagi and Mamoru.

"Maybe they're exchanging diaries?" Mako guessed, and Seiya gasped. "Chiba Mamoru? Exchanging diaries with _my_ Usagi? That's unforgivable!" He asked angrily, and was about to rush when Mako grabbed his arm. "Wait, Casanova. Don't go just yet!"

Usagi and Mamoru, who were oblivious to people spying on them, were silent for a while before Mamoru spoke up. "How troublesome. You just moved into our house and now my mother is misplacing our things." He huffed, and put his bag back on his back, about to leave for the 4-A classroom.

"You're right. Maybe next time, we'll get our uniforms mixed up." Usagi said, and Mamoru rolled his eyes. "_Baka Odango Atama_," he thought. "How could you possible get the uniforms mixed up?" He asked coldly, and Usagi slipped her hands into her pocket, feeling the glossy rectangle resting in there. She smiled and shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. You used to wear dresses often when you were young." She said coolly, and Mamoru immediately stopped dead in his tracks. He dropped his bag and whirled around to stare at her. "What do you mean?" He asked icily, and Usagi had to bite her lip to prevent herself from smiling even more. She whipped out the item in her pocket and held it up. There, in her small hand, was a picture of a small, smiling, happy young black-haired boy wearing a yellow dress with bright pink flowers on it. "This is what I mean! Look! You were SO cute when you were young!" She exclaimed, waving it in the air.

Mamoru ran to her and stared at the picture in disbelief and shock. "Where did you get this photo?" He demanded, and Usagi flashed a teasing smile at him. "Your mother gave it to me!" She laughed, and continued waving it. "Besides, I've seen all the other ones, too!"

"You…" Mamoru stared at her, a small vein throbbing in his face. Anyone would've thought he looked scary, but Usagi thought this was hilarious. "What do you want?" He asked, his voice still upset.

Usagi sighed and held the picture to her chest, as if it were her source of life. "Hmmmm…" She said aloud.

Mamoru moaned and extended his arm. "Never mind. Give it here." He ordered, and Usagi shook her head, her ponytails moving with her. "GIVE IT!" Mamoru roared, and Usagi screamed, "No way!" before she bolted, holding the picture close to her, so that the wind wouldn't take it from her. Luck didn't seem to be on her side, and she was better safe than sorry.

Mamoru chased her around the trees, demanding for her to give it to him, but she kept disagreeing and running away. She dropped her bag as a distraction or for him to trip over, but he simply jumped over it and kept chasing her. "Tsukino Usagi! Give it!" He commanded, and she shook her head. "No!"

She didn't look where she was going, and half-tripped over her bag on the ground, giving Mamoru the perfect opportunity to grab her wrist before she could get away. "Give it!" He repeated, and she huffed. "Fine!" She growled, grabbed his free hand, and jammed it in his palm. "You can have this!" She said, and started to walk away. "However, the film is still with me." She added teasingly, and his head shot up to glare at her. After a few moments, he spoke again. "What are you planning to do? Are you trying to threaten me? Is that it?"

Usagi took the end of her right ponytail and started fidgeting with it. "Hmmmm…." She looked up at him, and she couldn't help but smile. "If you want me to return the film to you, then I will." She said, and she swore she could've seen a glimmer of relief in his eyes as he looked away from her. That didn't mean she was going to let him off the hook so easily. "However, there is one condition."

"What?" He demanded, staring at her, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. "You have to tutor me." She said, and he looked away again. "Tutor you?" He asked, and she nodded. He scoffed. "Forget it."

Mamoru started walking towards his school bag, which was on the ground, covered in leaves from the recent chase. "As long as I make it on to the Top 100 list, I will return the film to you." Usagi told him, and Mamoru turned to her. "Stop dreaming. It'll never happen in your lifetime, Odango."

Usagi was about to yell at him to not call her Odango, but she kept her mouth shut. "Hmph. Okay." She responded, and then thought of another idea. "Then I'll just have to take the film to have it replicated and then post them on the school's notice board, as well as one in each hand of every student. Because it shouldn't matter to you…." She turned around, her expression still teasing. "….right?"

Mamoru glared at her. How could this little odango be so mischievous? Just yesterday, she had no idea what the verb in the English sentence "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog" was in Shingo's homework book. Now she had ideas of blackmailing him?

He walked over to her and she cowered down a little under his tall figure, which was just a breath away from hers. "Okay, I'll tutor you." He said, bending over to meet her face. As they were watching the two from the back, Minako half-squealed. "Ahhh! Is Chiba Mamoru about to kiss our little Usagi?" She squeaked, and Mako and Ami's mouths turned into "O"s. Seiya, however, looked angry. "What? I'm going to chop him!" He growled, and was about to lunge when Mako and Minako grabbed him before he could move an inch. "Shush, you!" Mako said, and clamped her hand over his mouth, staring at the couple.

Mamoru kept looking down at Usagi. "But you better remember that the Top 100 list is always dominated by mostly Class A and Class B students. If you, a Class F student want to make it on there, you better hope for a miracle to occur. Got it?"

"Aren't you a genius?" Usagi's voice asked, half of what it was ten minutes ago because of Mamoru's scary figure towering over hers. "Don't you have confidence in your own abilities?"

Mamoru rolled his eyes again, annoyed. "It's YOUR abilities I don't have confidence in!" He replied, and Usagi flinched. The lunch bell started to ring, and Mamoru thought that it was time to leave. "I'll start tutoring you tonight. You better be ready." He said, and walked away.

Usagi stood there for a moment, and then shook her head to get back to reality. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and picked up her leaf-covered bag to walk towards her classroom, unaware of the ecstatic Minako, shocked Mako, half-angry half-concerned Seiya, and the fainted Ami.

**A/N:**** But YAY! I'm on a ROLL today! Finished a chapter of my other story and this chapter! ~wipes sweat~ WOO! And now I must prepare for my stupid Biology test that is tomorrow. **

**Also, I added the little Macbeth in there to show that I know how it's driving Usagi crazy. My English teacher is driving me nuts with that stupid play. (No offense to you Macbeth lovers.) **

**My apologies for the chapter coming out after a LOOOOONG time and making Mamoru look like an emotionless/always angry psycho. That's just his character. Don't worry, though. He'll change. (:**

**Review please? It'd make me super duper happy! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **Thank you all for following/reviewing! I keep getting messages/reviews that are asking when the "good stuff" is going to happen, and let me assure you- all that will happen in good time; just be patient! (: I also changed the name of this fanfic to "It Started With A Photo" because...well, you'll find out later(; **

**I also realized I made two mistakes while writing the previous chapter: I wrote the color of Saori's hair as brown (when it's actually black), and I wrote one (maybe two) of Usagi's lines grammatically incorrectly (does that make sense?)….GOMEN! ^^''**

**Well, I don't think I have anything else to add, other than enjoy this new chapter! Sorry it's so late! School has been KILLING ME with finals, projects, homework, tests, quizzes…..yeah. -.- But at least it's over now! :D WOO, SUMMER!**

**ENJOY CHAPTER 4!(:**

_**Disclaimer! I don't own Sailor Moon or Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss!**_

**Chapter 4**

"Oh, no, Auntie. I'm fine, thank you!" Usagi smiled as she politely waved the lime green bowl that Saori, who looked upset that the blonde wouldn't have her soup, held her in hand. Usagi noticed this and immediately added, "I just have to finish dinner quickly so I can start studying, since exam time is coming up!" She shook her head as she spoke, her ponytails dancing back and forth. Saori grinned at her and nodded, putting the soup bowl back on the table and stood up with Usagi.

"Don't worry, Usagi!" She said, and patted the girl next to her on the back. "You'll do great! In fact, I'll bring up some snacks for you while you're studying! I'll even make some _daifukumochi_ for you! Kenji said you liked those, anyways!" She exclaimed, and rushed into the kitchen as Usagi giggled and felt her mouth water for the longing of her favorite rice cake.

"Make some for me, too." Mamoru stood up, too, patting his mouth with his napkin. "I'll be in her room with her."

All of a sudden, there was an awkward silence and there was a _clang_ing noise from the kitchen as if a kitchen utensil had been dropped out of the shocked holder's hands. Everyone, even Shingo, had their mouths in a large "O" shape, their eyes wide with surprise. After a few moments, without any warning, Saori burst out of the kitchen, her sapphire eyes gleaming happily. "Oh my gosh! Mamoru is going to be with Usagi! I knew you two would get together; you're so cute together! I must go get my camera!" She exclaimed, and turned around to run straight to her bedroom when Mamoru added loud enough for her to hear, "I'm going to help her study, Ma. I have no intention of doing anything else."

Saori's expression drooped. "Darn." She muttered, and walked back into the kitchen to make their snacks. Shingo stood up, though, looking very upset at Mamoru. "_Onii-chan, _you need to tutor me, though!" He complained, and Mamoru shook his head. "No, I don't. You always get first in class without my help, anyways. Come on, Usagi." He said as he started walking towards the stairs, and Usagi followed obediently and silently.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~What is it that lead her in the wrong direction?... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"So, in this case, to find the area of this regular hexagon, you need to find the apothem by using one of the six triangles that are formed since the formula is ½ aP in which case "a" is the apothem and "P" is the perimeter. So since the problem says that the perimeter is 36 cm, that means each of the side lengths of the hexagon is 6 cm. So if we take this triangle right here and split in half, we can either find the tangent of this angle or use the 30-60-90 triangle rule…"

Usagi stared at Mamoru's hand, which was writing the work in her textbook really quickly and in-tempo with his words. She tried to take in what he was saying, but his sitting next to her, teaching all this was so unbelievable. He was so close to her that she had to resist the temptation of laying her head on his shoulder and whispering, "I love you" to him. In fact, the closest thing to that she could do was—

"Do you understand it now?" Mamoru asked, his voice breaking her out of her staring and Usagi nodded slowly, staring at the work Mamoru had written with wide eyes, wondering how on Earth she _would_ understand it.

"Then do this question." He said, and pointed with the eraser end of his pencil at a picture of a purple regular octagon, where, above it, it said in big black letters: "Find the area" and "P=40 in." He dropped the pencil in front of her and Usagi stared at the question. Then, she slowly picked up the pencil and drew a picture of a triangle and wrote by one of the sides "5 in". She looked up back at Mamoru's work and tried to make out what it was saying, but all the words were a bunch of blurs. Was that a 7 or a 9?

She bit her lip and then drew a line between the triangle, cutting it in half. She then slowly turned to Mamoru, who was looking over her work. "Go on." He said, and Usagi smiled a bit nervously, chuckling weakly. "Heh….uh…I didn't understand from there…"

"But didn't you just say you understood it?" Mamoru demanded, and Usagi smiled nervously. "Well, I sorta lied..." She admitted, and Mamoru's eyes widened. "What are you learning in class? PAY MORE ATTENTION! Or else I won't let you sleep tonight!" He yelled at her, and Usagi immediately straightened. "Yes, sir!" She responded as he grabbed the pencil out of her hand and started to explain the formula to her.

And about 45 minutes later later, Usagi circled her final answer. "Area equals about 122 square inches?" She asked, and he nodded, his arms folded against his chest. "Correct."

"YES!" Usagi exclaimed happily, got up, and started to jump up and down, her ponytails fluttering along with her. She looked down at Mamoru, who was looking at her, a black eyebrow raised. "Uh..."

_FLASH!_ A bright white flash engulfed the whole room for half a second, and Usagi and Mamoru looked at the door, where Saori was standing, beaming, a bright pink camera in her hand. "Auntie?"

"Oh, my, don't mind me!" Saori backed away, trying to hide the camera behind her back. "I didn't mean to disturb you two!"

"What are you doing?" Mamoru asked, not taking his angry eyes off the camera in his mother's hand.

Saori looked down and giggled. "Oh, nothing, just keeping a memory!" She replied, and then looked at the two, her hands clasping each other dreamily. "You two look like such a cute couple! It would be wonderful if you guys got married!" She giggled again. "Oh, and your sweet buns will be made really soon!" And with that, she fluttered out of the room.

Usagi had turned bright red, and Mamoru, who seemed at the point of bursting at the moment, even had a tiny tinge of red in his cheeks. "Let's continue. You're doing well so far." He said quietly after a few moments of silence, and Usagi smiled at his tiny praise, nodding really happily.

Mamoru turned to her and rolled his eyes. "Oi, odango, we still have nine more problems left, so don't get too excited."

Usagi glared at him. "My name isn't odango! My name is Usagi! U-SA-GI. Like a bunny."

"Yet you don't like carrots. _Odango atama._" Mamoru muttered, and Usagi looked down at her textbook when something caught her eye. _I'll impress him with my knowledge of this! _She thought, and pointed at the sentence in the English section. "Mamoru, they're talking about coffee in this sentence, right?" She asked.

Mamoru looked at the English sentence at which she was pointing at. " 'Blake was a famous poet' ? Where on Earth are they talking about coffee?"

Usagi looked at the sentence again. But it seemed right to her...how could he not see it? "See, it says 'bu-rake', as in the English word 'break', right? Break equals coffee break, _ne*_?"

"No, it says 'Blake'. BLAKE. He's a famous poet." Mamoru replied.

"What's a poet? Is it something tasty? Is it a popular new snack?"

Mamoru's forehead met with the middle of his palm. This week's nights were going to be very long...

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~She doesn't know how to or what to do...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Are you okay, Usagi? You've looked really tired lately!" Seiya asked as he watched the girl he loved yawn and rub her tired blue eyes.

Usagi nodded as the school bell rung and her classmates started to rush out of her classroom quickly. "Yeah...I've just been staying up to study for the upcoming exams and all." She responded, and started to put away her books as her four friends stared at her in shock. "You're really taking this seriously, Usagi-chan!" Mako said, and Usagi smiled half-sleepily half-determined. "Of course! I'm going to prove that Class F students can get on the Top 100 list too, so Haruna-sensei won't get fired!"

Ami smiled. "I'm proud of you, Usagi-chan. Good luck!" She cheered on her friend, and Usagi nodded. "Thanks, Ami-chan!"

Seiya stared at her. "You've been acting really strange ever since you moved..." He put his palm on his forehead dramatically. "Usagi, you're just lying to us, _ne_? The truth is, the owners of your new house are making you work like a slave! Don't worry, though, Usagi! As soon as I can support you, I will marry you and take you away from your hellhole of a home! I swear, I'll- Usagi?" He looked around and noticed that he was talking to himself as Mako, Minako and Ami were watching him, not impressed. "Where's Usagi?"

"She said she went to the library to study some more." Minako said, and Seiya gasped. "She truly is acting weird...my poor Usagi!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I say, how is this possible?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"I got it!" Usagi smiled at her two-page long translation of one of the scenes from _Macbeth_. She couldn't wait to hear Mamoru's praise on her translation! He would truly be pleased with this! "Mamoru-" She turned around and saw the boy she loved half-laying on her desk, his head resting on his arms and his eyes closed. "Are you asleep?" She asked quietly, poking his shoulder gently, but he didn't move.

Usagi laid her head down on the desk and stared at him, half-closing her eyes. "Have I really tired you that much?" She whispered, watching him continue sleeping. "_That's right...he's been tutoring me every night for six nights now..."_ She wondered. "_Maybe my request was a bit too overboard..."_

She looked back at her translation, and the other problems they hadn't finished. Yawning, she looked over at the sleeping Mamoru again, and smiled. _"Now that I think about it, he looks just like a normal handsome guy, now. And he's just Mamoru. The same Mamoru I fell in love with three years ago..." _

Without thinking, she reached out and brushed a lock of his dark hair away from his face to his ear and closed her eyes, drifting off to dreamland.

A few moments later, a knock came on the door. "Dear children, your- oh my!" Saori's mouth pulled at the corners as if there were a hanger in her mouth and she jammed her hand in her apron pocket. "Oh, where is it...?" She muttered, and then found her camera. She held it up at the couple and pressed the circular red button on the top right corner of her favorite item.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~She's willing to give up her dignity and admirations...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi stared at the small, pink envelope in her hands that Auntie Saori had given her before she and Mamoru had left to walk to school. She could still hear her words ringing through her mind, _"It's a good luck charm! For today! Don't open it until after the results have come out!" _

She had been excited, prepared and scared for today, exam day, for a week now, and had thought that Mamoru was like God for helping her so much, but hadn't noticed until this morning that his eyes had small bags forming and even his voice sounded tired. She had started to wonder if his late-night tutoring could effect his test results today, and had felt her heart starting to sink into her stomach. How could she do such a thing? What if he was so sleep-deprived that he didn't even make it on the Top 100 list? What if that effected his college life and he would have to end up living with his parents FOREVER?

Usagi shook away these thoughts. He would do great, just like he always did. Right? She heard the warning bell ring and looked up to ask if he was truly okay when she saw that Mamoru was about to walk into the 4-A classroom. _"I want to thank him and ask if he's okay, but he's told me never to talk to him at school..."_

Quickly, she ran across the entrance to the 4-A room, her sleeve barely brushing against his back. She paused for a brief second as she crossed him and whispered, "Thank you" loud enough for only him to hear.

"Good luck." He whispered back, and Usagi's eyes widened. She wanted to thank him again for the luck, but the bell rung again and Usagi dashed over to the 4-F classroom. "_Good luck, Mamoru! I'm sorry if I caused any major trouble!" _She thought, as she rushed over to her seat and as she received her test paper. She sighed and looked down on it and then had to cover her mouth from screaming.

The first question! It was the exact same question that Mamoru had given her six nights ago about the apothem and the area of regular polygons! And the second question...that was about how Lady Macbeth had wanted to kill King Duncan, right? "_This is all so familiar! Thank you, Mamoru!"_ Usagi quietly thanked, and skimmed through her test, finishing it in an hour and a half later. And when Mako, Minako and Seiya sadly asked her how she did, she beamed. "I think it went really well!" She smiled as she told them, and Minako shook her head. "Well, I wonder if you really got on the Top 100 list. That would seem to really impress Chiba, _ne_?" She winked, elbowing her friend in the arm, and Usagi gasped. Mamoru! Her previous worries of his doing badly on the exam returned and she rushed out of the room, almost knocking into Ami, who had arrived to tell her that the Top 100 list had been posted already. She ran out, her ponytails fluttering in the wind behind her, and to the front of the list and saw "#1 - Chiba Mamoru - (A) - 800 points" painted in black ink. She smiled and rested her hand on her heart. "Thank God!" She whispered, her heart not racing as fast as it had been a few moments ago. "_He truly is a genius," _She thought._ "Even after six nights with me without any sleep, he still got full marks and 1st place!"_

Meanwhile, Mamoru walked with Motoki, who was wondering why his genius friend was walking to the wrong end, to the end of the Top 100 list and saw in black letters "#100 - Tsukino Usagi - (F) - 597 points". He then turned to Motoki, who, along with three-fourths of the people there, was amazed that a Class F student had made it onto the Top 100 list, and said, "Let's go, Motoki."

"B-But, you didn't even look if y-your name-" Motoki immediately shushed as he saw his best friend bump into Usagi, who turned bright red and blinked up at him. "Um, congratulations on making 1st and getting full marks again." She said, half-smiling, and Mamoru nodded. "Congratulations to you, too, odango."

Usagi was going to get mad at him for calling her odango again, but had completely forgotten about that. "C-Congrat-w-what?" She stammered and Mamoru pointed at the list. "You didn't see it yet?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

The blonde rushed to where he was pointing and read her name on the list. "#100 - T-Tsukino Usagi, f-five hundred and ninety-s-seven points..." She stuttered, her eyes widening to the size of her odangos and starting to feel a bit light-headed. A few seconds later, she was screaming loudly, jumping up and down, her face ecstatic. "_KYAA!_ I MADE 100TH PLACE!" She exclaimed, her hands waving in the air as tiny tears of joy formed in her cerulean eyes. She turned to Mamoru, who had his hand stuck out. She grabbed it and started shaking his hand very energetically. "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, MAMORU!" She half-yelled as people stared. Mamoru yanked his hand back. "_Baka_, not a handshake. Give me back the thing you promised."

"Oh right!" She reached into her skirt pocket and took out the picture of the cute, young Mamoru wearing a yellow dress with pink flowers on it. "Here you go!"

Mamoru snatched it and hid it in his breast pocket. "I've told you this before! Don't talk to me in school!" He hissed, and Usagi pursed her lips, bobbing her head up and down. "Right...but..." She looked down. Surely there had to be another way to thank him!

She looked romantically at the board and smiled hugely. Even though one was at the top and the other was on the end, at least they were on the same paper. Her previous attempts to move up into the same class as him didn't bother her anymore; they were on the same board!

Usagi closed her eyes and apologized to him under her breath. As he started to walk away, she jumped up and down again, yelling, "THANK YOU MAMORU!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned around, his eyes cold, but Usagi didn't care. She happily waved her arms at him, but then stopped when she realized something else had caught his attention. He was looking at a bulletin post next to the Top 100 list, his eyes wide and expressionless. There was a bigger crowd there than the Top 100 list, for sure, and everyone was staring at him, Usagi, and the board. Uh-oh.

"CLASSMATE TSUKINO-SAN!" His voice suddenly boomed, and Usagi could feel her breathing intensify. This didn't sound good, but her feet slowly carried her to where he was standing. He pointed at the notice board sharply and she slowly turned to see it. Half a second later, Usagi's heart dropped 50 feet and she could see why everyone was staring at her and Mamoru, whispering and glaring.

Up on the board was a picture of her and Mamoru from last night, both of them half-laying on Usagi's desk, sleeping. There was a big pink heart drawn around the two in marker, and a big, white sheet of paper was also posted above the photo, on which, in large purple letters, the words "TSUKINO USAGI (3-F) AND CHIBA MAMORU (3-A) ARE NOW LIVING TOGETHER! PLEASE GIVE THEM YOUR BLESSINGS!" were written. Everyone in the crowd was whispering, "Don't they have any shame, sleeping together?"

Usagi wanted to yell that they were _not_ sleeping together, that they were just resting their heads on the same desk, but it would be no use. She didn't even know where the pictures came from.

"What is this?" She demanded, and Mamoru glared at her. "I'd like to know as well!" He yelled at her, and her mouth dropped. Surely he didn't think she did this! "B-But I didn't d-do-"

"I've told you before, Tsukino-san. Since you dared to write me a love letter, you probably don't care about this. Hell, you probably even love the gossip that's going through the school right now." He turned to her, his dark blue eyes piercing through her. "But it's caused great problems for me. Now, I'm telling you," He bent forward, his face a few inches away from hers. "Don't mess up my life. Again_. Ever._" He straightened up and walked away, leaving a heartbroken Usagi to fall on her knees and start crying silently.

**A/N:**** Aww poor Usagi): **

**YAY! This chapter ish finally finished! :D 1/3 of it I wrote during finals time, and the remaining 2/3 I wrote during summer, at 11 PM while munching on hot cheetos, so I'm sorry if the characters seemed a bit out of character...I'll try to do better for the next chapter! ^o^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is actually my least favorite chapter so far...woops. -.-'' The story WILL get better from here, though! I PROMISE! (: AND, LIKE, OMG! MAYBE, LIKE, A LITTLE MORE FLAME WILL START, LIKE, NEXT CHAPTER? Woohoo! :D**

***- This is a reference to Sailor Moon Stars Episode 179, where Taiki recites one of Blake's poems, and he tells Usagi that "It's Blake". Usagi says, "Blake...Oh! Like a coffee break?" Hahahaha oh, Usagi (: 3**

**Review? (: Reviewers get some of Auntie Saori's **_**daifukumochi **_**(sweet buns)! (;**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** **WHOA, I'M ON A ROLL LATELY! Uploading a new chapter just a few days after I uploaded the previous! WOOT! :D **

**THANK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH FOR REVIEWING/FAVORITING/FOLLOWING! I 3 you guys3 And I apologize, my dear readers, that I had some mistakes in my previous chapter, even with serious editing. ~facepalm~ Sorrys):**

**Thank you all who actually liked the chapter! ^o^ You're all very kind(:**

**tiffany aka basketcase: I know, I realized that **_**after**_** I uploaded the chapter ^o^'' Thanks for pointing that out, though!(: And Usagi and Mamoru are actually in class 3, but I got mixed up while I was writing and wrote Class 3 by accident. Woops. :P**

**TropicalRemix: You'll find out in this chapter who posted the picture and whether or not they'll find out(: And, as I promised earlier, Mamoru's personality **_**will**_** change. **

**PazaakGirl: Wow, I have? Thanks!(:**

**Well, here's Chapter 5! Enjoy!(:**

_**Disclaimer! I don't own Sailor Moon or Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss!**_

**Chapter 5**

Usagi kept wiping her constant tears with her already-drenched sleeve as she hid behind a dark corner near the gym she had ran to so that she could be alone. She couldn't let _anyone_ see her like this. _"Why, oh why, Mamoru, were you so cruel?"_ She wondered, and remembering the words he yelled at her earlier, started to cry even harder. _"No matter how hurtful you were towards me, no matter how much you disliked me, I didn't care! You didn't accept my love letter, and people around the whole school gossiped about it, too. But I didn't shed a single tear."_ She wiped away her eyes, again, knowing people were starting to watch her, and started to run back to the Class 4-F room. _"I love you, after all, Mamoru!"_

She slid the classroom door aside and walked in, not leaving her gaze upon the wood flooring. She quickly grabbed her bag and was about to leave when she noticed that the pink envelope that Auntie Saori gave her earlier that morning was ripped open, and that there were other pictures of her and Mamoru sleeping together in it. There was a small yellow note attached to them, and she brought it up to her eyes since her crying had blurred her vision.

_Usagi,_

_Attached are really cute pictures of you and Mamoru! _Kya_, you too look so cute together! Show them to your friends and show them how cute you two are! Teehee. _

_-Saori Mama_

Her eyes widened and, scared by the assumption that everyone else would see the additional pictures and Mamoru would hate her even more, hid them in her bag. For once, she felt really angry at Auntie Saori and wished she had never given them to her, because it turns out someone had rummaged through her stuff, seen the pictures and posted one for the whole school to see. Ugh, things had _not_ been going her way lately.

After quickly grabbing the rest of her things, she ran all the way home. She didn't care if her friends wanted to congratulate her for making it onto the Top 100 list or if Minako had gotten a new idol magazine. She had just wanted to get home and die. Knowing that wasn't possible, though, as Auntie Saori would probably notice if the girl was acting suicidal, she had just wanted to go home and sleep for the rest of the weekend. Screw homework.

"I'm home." She said miserably, and didn't even want to listen to Auntie Saori's chirpy voice, Papa's calming advice, or Uncle Koba's funny jokes. She just headed straight for her room, running into Shingo once into the hallway. He whispered "_baka_" when she brushed past him and, for once, she turned around and glared at him angrily. "_Urusai, Chiisana_*." She shot back, and Shingo's eyes widened. Odango had retorted back at him? Something definitely was wrong, he could tell, especially by seeing those tired red rims around her usually happy blue eyes. Why had she been crying?

"Oi, _Onii-chan_," Shingo began as he opened the door to the bedroom the two shared, looking at his brother, who was gathering his towel and his pajamas for his shower. "Why is Odango-baka upset?" He asked, and Mamoru looked away for a moment. "Why would I know?" He asked, and left the room, starting to walk over to the bathroom.

Usagi, who was sitting on her bed, which was a little bit wet from her tears, heard the bathroom door close and thought, _"That must be Mamoru"_ and looked at the piece of paper that she had been holding tightly in her hands ever since she had come home. It was her love letter. The one she spent so much time on. The one she had written for Mamoru. "The first love letter I've ever written..." She whispered, staring at it. "And the person who it's for doesn't even want to read it. How embarrassing."

She groaned and fell on her side onto the bed, not taking her eyes off the letter. "I can't believe that I'm in love with such a cold-hearted person. He's also right next door, yet I..." She didn't bother to finish her sentence as she closed her teary eyes and drifted off.

Fifteen minutes later, a knock came on the door. "Oi, it's your turn for the shower." Mamoru said as he slowly opened the door and saw a sleeping Usagi on the bed. He started to walk over to her but stopped when he saw a pink envelope on her desk. That was the same envelope his mother gave her this morning, wasn't it? He opened it and saw the rest of the photos and was about to yell her awake when he saw the letter his mother wrote her and then looked back at her. Had he been too harsh on her? It turns out it wasn't her fault, after all. His crazy mother was the psycho mastermind behind all this. Should he apologize to Usagi?

He continued to walk towards her to gently poke her to remind her of her turn for the shower when something caught his eye again. A piece of white paper next to her hand. That piece of paper was all too familiar- he'd seen it before.

He picked it up and saw on the back, in big, bright blue letters, the words "To Chiba Mamoru" were written, and below that, in small pink letters, the words "From Tsukino Usagi" were printed. He was about to put it back down by her when he hesitated, and, after thinking for a moment, opened the letter, leaned against the wall and started reading it.

_Hello Chiba Mamoru-san! I'm Tsukino Usagi from Class 4-F. _

_I don't think you know me, but I know you very well! You gave an amazing impression during your speech at the freshmen orientation three years ago, and my admiration for you has been going on ever since. Whether you were talking to a fellow Class A student or participating in Field Day, I've always admired you. A lot. My hope for us to be in the same class is kinda impossible with you being a genius and all, so that's why I wrote you this love letter to convey my feelings. I love you, Mamoru-san!_

_Usagi_

Mamoru continued staring at the letter for a brief moment, folded it back, and put it back by Usagi's hand. After that, he glanced at Usagi once again and then left her room quietly.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Her playing the game of girls chasing guys...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Okay, dinner's ready!" Usagi's voice rang out happily from the kitchen, and the whole Chiba family came and sat down at the dining table. Usagi and her father put the big bowl of soup on the table, adding the final touch to the big buffet of food the two of them prepared for everyone.

"Ken-chan, this really wasn't needed..." Saori said as she looked around at all the food, but Kenji just shook his head. "I'm a professional chef, and as our way of saying thank you for letting us live here all this time, Usa and I prepared dinner for all of you on this fine Sunday evening!"

Saori and Koba smiled as the two sat down, and Shingo stared at a big white and brown blob with poorly-chopped fruits on the top in one of the corners of the table. He pointed at it, disgusted. "What is that?"

"It's a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting!" Usagi happily exclaimed. "For dessert! And if you're a good little boy and finish your meal, maybe you can have some later!"

"In that case, I'll go hungry tonight." Shingo said, and Usagi bit her lip as Koba glared at him. "Shingo!"

Shingo shrugged and started to pile heaps of the chicken stew Kenji made onto his plate. "At least this looks edible." He muttered, and Saori hit him on the shoulder. "_Aiya_, why must you be so mean?" She demanded, and Kenji bowed. "Sorry, Koba-chan, it's just that Usagi never really learned to cook, without a mother and my constant working in the kitchen while she needed to do homework. And I know if this continues, she'll never get married..." He trailed off, his voice slowly shushing.

"That's all right, Ken-chan!" Saori exclaimed. "Once Usagi is married into our family, then I can teach her how to cook!"

Everyone who was drinking suddenly spewed out their beverage. (Except for Saori, that is.) Koba and Kenji and the children stared at the two adults, though, and there was an awkward silence, which was broken when Kenji finally spoke. "W-What, Saori-san?"

"Am I the only one who thinks they look so cute together?" She asked, her hands clasped together, her sapphire eyes gleaming brightly. "Also, Ken-chan, then, you can be relatives with Kobayashi, and it'd be better than marrying Usagi into some stranger's family. Plus, you wouldn't have to have your house re-built." She raised her cup of tea to her lips and started to drink. Kenji and Koba started to nod. "That's true..."

"No way! I don't want her for a sister-in-law! She's too stupid!" Shingo shot, and Usagi was insulted by this, but she agreed with him for once. "Papa, you haven't even asked me how _I_ feel about it! How can you decide on your own?"

"Forget it," Mamoru declared, speaking for the first time for the whole day. "I'm not worthy to marry someone like her."

Usagi wheeled around on her heels, glaring. "I'm the one who should be saying that! I don't deserve to marry someone like you!" She shot back at him.

"Oh?" And then, Mamoru, who never ever was nice to her, put his elbows on the table, rested his head on his wrist, and smiled teasingly at her. Usagi started to turn bright red and couldn't help but stare at him. His smile...it was so...teasing. What did he want from her?

"Is that so, Usagi?" He asked, and Usagi slowly backed away. "W-What?" She asked, and he grinned at her. "_This isn't usual for him!_" She thought, and he opened his mouth again. "Didn't you write me a passionate love letter?" He asked, and Usagi turned red as a tomato as everyone stared at her. She didn't expect this. "N-No-well, it w-wasn't-I..." She stared at him, dumbfounded, and he leaned back in his chair, still smiling at her. "Hello Chiba Mamoru-san! I'm Tsukino Usagi from Class 4-F." He said, and Usagi's mouth was as big enough to fit both of her odangos in. "I don't think you know me, but I know you very well! You gave an amazing impression during your speech at the freshmen orientation three years ago, and my admiration for you has been going on ever since. Whether you were talking to a fellow Class A student or participating in Field Day, I've always admired you. A lot. My hope for us to be in the same class is kinda impossible with you being a genius and all, so that's why I wrote you this love letter to convey my feelings. I lo-"

TCHAK! Usagi slapped Mamoru hard, leaving a large red mark on his cheek. "What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing his cheek quickly to soothe it. "How dare you read my letter?" She yelled at him, and he stared at her in shock. "You wrote that letter for me, don't I have a right to read it?"

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO MEMORIZE IT, THOUGH!" Usagi yelled, and Mamoru quickly shot back, "I can't help it if I automatically memorize things once I read them!"

"So does this mean Usagi _did_ like Mamoru this whole time?" Saori asked ecstatically, her expression excited, and Usagi immediately looked down. "Yes." She whispered, and Saori cheered. "YES! This means that now they can-"

"Not so fast!" A new voice erupted, and everyone turned around to the door. There, standing was a sweaty Seiya, who looked as if he had run a long way to get there. Shingo groaned, muttering something about another _baka_ in the house. "U-Usagi..." Seiya panted. "I-I'm here for you!"

"Seiya?" She asked, and he immediately ran to her, hugging her and checking her forehead and arms. "Are you okay? Once I heard you were living in Chiba's house," He glared at Mamoru. "I got worried that he might bully you, Usagi! YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A GENIUS COULD BECOME A MONSTER!"

Usagi shook her head, smiling at her silly friend's concern. "I'm fine, Seiya!" She assured, but he ran over to Saori, his arms moving frantically. "I just heard everything! Are you people mad? Letting poor Usagi marry such a demon! How could you people?"

"Y-You are...?" Saori stared at him, and Seiya smiled, "Oh, this is the first time meeting you, the Chiba family! Nice to meet you! I'm Kou Seiya from Usagi's class! Usagi and I are the most well-known couple in the class!"

"Oh, dear...Usagi's popular with the boys...this'll be a problem." Saori said as she touched her lips with her mouth in a motion of concern while Usagi sweatdropped and started fidgeting with the end of her left ponytail. "That's not it..." She muttered, dumbfounded by Seiya's outgoing declaring of him and Usagi going out.

"There's always weird things going on in this world!" Seiya said. "Including marriage with Chiba! It's impossible, right Chiba?" He asked, turning to the genius, who was leaning against the wall in the corner, watching the whole drama playing out in front of him.

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Mamoru said, and turned to Seiya as everyone gasped. "These things can be hard to predict, too."

"W-WHAT?" Seiya demanded, his expression pissed. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU TERRIBLE EXCUSE FOR A MAN?

"I mean, things can change," Mamoru said, ignoring Seiya's insult. "A person's feelings can change. Someone can dislike something one day, and then love it the next." He smiled, and there was complete silence throughout the house.

Finally, Seiya's voice rang throughout the whole house. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WERE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN USAGI!"

"Now, I never said that." Mamoru said, starting to turn around. "But don't forget, she likes me way more compared to you." He yawned. "I'm going now, make yourself at home." And with that, he walked up the stairs to his room. It was deadly silent for a moment, and then Seiya ran out, half-bawling, half-muttering how he would "get back at that _baka_ genius bully S.O.B!"

As everyone started to slowly clean up the dinner table, Usagi was the only one who was still standing in the same spot, her expression shocked and her mind re-playing what had happened just a few moments ago. "_Does this mean...Mamoru might like me...?_" She wondered, a tiny blush coloring her cheeks.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Not showing a tint of shyness towards him...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Usagi, I have a problem..." Saori began, and Usagi turned to her. "What is it, Auntie?" She asked, her blue eyes large with concern. They had been living in the Chiba household for four months now, and she wanted to help in anyway she could to show her appreciation.

"Well," She began, brushing a strand of her dark black hair behind her ear, looking worried. "It seems as if my mother is really sick with the flu that's going around, and since Ken-chan and Kobayashi are at their high school reunion, I have to leave the home alone with you and Mamoru...but you two'll be fine alone, right? I'll be gone for only two days, and your school starts in two days, so it'll be fine, _ne_?"

"_A whole two days alone with Mamoru?_" Usagi thought, a small blush tinging her cheeks. She started to fidget with the end of her right ponytail. "Um, I don't know, Auntie..."

Shingo, who was reading a book about 9th grade science until now, however, suddenly jumped to his feet from the couch and looked at his mother, upset. He could see what she was doing, and he wasn't going to let his brother be sucked into their crazy mother's trap so that the stupid odango could be left alone with him. "What about me? I want to stay with _Onii-chan_ too!"

"Oh, I'm taking you with me. We're going to go see Grandma, okay? She's sick!"

"But I'm sure _Onii-chan_ wants to see Grandma too! And I still need to add the finishing touches to my summer homework, because summer ends in two days!" Shingo protested, but Saori clasped her hand over his mouth. "_Aiya_, you're so loud!" She fiercely whispered to him, and then looked up at Usagi again. "I'm leaving now, I've already put my and Shingo's stuff in the car. So please take care of the house with Mamoru!" She winked, and then fluttered out the door, a wiggling and struggling Shingo in her arms.

Mamoru, who was at the foot of the stairs, looked at Usagi and then walked back upstairs. "Please take care of dinner." He said, and Usagi nodded as she continued fidgeting with her ponytail. "I will!"

She rushed to the kitchen and opened up Auntie's cookbook, turning to a recipe for a special type of pork stew and opened up the cabinets, getting all the necessary ingredients. "_This'll show Mamoru that even though I'm not as smart as him, I can definitely cook!"_ She thought, rolled up her sleeves, and started to cook.

Ten minutes later, Mamoru came downstairs. "Is dinner ready yet?" He asked, and saw a large smoke oozing through the area. "What on Earth...?" He asked, and rushed over to the kitchen, where the smoke was there the most. "Oi! Where are you?" He asked, and heard a "I'm over here" in a small and weak voice coming from the corner. He ran to the corner and saw Usagi in a puddle of broth, clutching her foot, her expression looking as if she were in great pain. "What happened?" He asked, and she shook her head. "Just turn off the gas!" She said, and pointed at a pot on the stove that looked like it was about to burst broth all over the kitchen walls. He quickly turned off the gas and, using an oven mitt, took it over to the sink, where he emptied the burnt pork and the rest of the boiling hot broth that was obviously done cooking. "Why didn't you tell me this happened?"

"I did! I yelled your name a few times, but it seems as if you couldn't hear me!" She shot back, and he sighed. "It was probably the loud noise of the stove that prevented me from hearing you." He said most to himself, and then realized where she was. "What's wrong?"

"I was cooking the pork and broth in the pot, and then I was carrying it over when I spilled some broth on the floor and on my foot." She flinched as the burn on her foot still hurt. "I managed to put the pot back on the stove but I didn't get to turn off the stove because I fell in the puddle."

Mamoru sighed again. "_Baka odango,_" He whispered, walked over to her and tried to help her up. "We need to wash this burn. Can you walk?" He asked, and she tried to get up, but slipped in the broth again and fell. "No." She said after a few attempts, and he put his left arm underneath her knees and his right around her back. "Put your arms around my neck." He commanded, and she immediately obeyed. Mamoru then stood up and started to walk, carrying her in his arms, and Usagi started to blush. "_Dear God,"_ She thought. _"If I say I think I love Mamoru even more now, will you be mad at me?" _

Mamoru set her down on the sink tabletop and started to help her pour cold water from the sink onto her wound. She couldn't help stare at him, though, and wonder why he was being so nice to her. He was helping her wash her burn. The dreamy _Chiba Mamoru_ was helping her was her burn on her foot! He obviously noticed her staring, and turned to her. Usagi couldn't tell if it was her imagination or reality, but the scene changed into a bright pink and yellow area, flowers forming around the couple. "Usagi." His voice said dreamily, and Usagi blushed even harder. "Yes, Mamoru?"

"I just noticed something." His voice said, and Usagi felt as if maybe a little drool was about to drip from her mouth. "What is it?"

"Your foot is fat." He said, continuing to wash her foot and the setting immediately changed back to the bathroom. Usagi hit her head with her palm. "_I knew it was too good to be true._" She thought as she sweatdropped.

After a long and silent footwashing and bandaging, Mamoru said that Usagi should have been able to walk now (much to her disappointment) and had gone to the kitchen to cook dinner.

"I'll help, too!" Usagi said, slightly limping behind him, but he looked around the kitchen and looked at her. "Really? After what you've done already? I think you've 'helped' enough." He said, and she turned red, looking at the floor and muttering under her breath about how she couldn't help it. After a long silence, Mamoru finally spoke while flipping through the pages of his mother's cookbook. "Go get a clean pot, onions and separate the meat from the bone."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Every day and night, standing by his side being loud and noisy in the hopes that he'd catch a glimpse of her...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Wah!" Usagi stared, shocked at the scene in front of her. The wonderfully looking pork stew Mamoru had made looked even better than the picture in the professional cookbook did! "Um, Mamoru? Do you cook often...?" She asked as he put some of the stew on his plate and started to eat.

"No, I just looked at the recipes and memorized them instantly. And then I cooked them."

"Oh."

The two ate silently, the only sound being their eating utensils clanging against their plates. _"This is great,"_ Usagi thought. _"Only the two of us eating this meal together. It's like we're a newly wed couple! I should think of something to say to him!"_

"So, um, did you finish your summer homework?" She asked, and he nodded, not even looking at her. "Yes, I actually finished on the first day of summer."

Usagi's jaw dropped and she stared at the genius. "Y-You finished-w-wha-h-how-"

"I'm guessing you didn't even start it yet?" Mamoru asked as he put a piece of pork into his mouth, and Usagi turned red again, shaking her head. "N-No, I haven't. I thought I would be able to finish it in the last two days of summer..." She smiled nervously. "Would you help me with my work?"

"I don't want to." Mamoru said, and Usagi fell back. _"Urrrgh..."_

"I'm going to bed." He said as he got up, and Usagi looked up at him. "B-But the homework-"

"I suggest you start on it right away," He added before he left. "Because I think with that standard of yours, you'll have burnt a week's worth of midnight oil before you'll finish it all."

Usagi's jaw dropped again, ataken back by his cold personality. "Oh, God..."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Seeing her here, and him over there...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_ "I must be careful!"_ Usagi thought to herself as she tiptoed over to Mamoru and Shingo's room. She then stopped herself before she could open the door. _"I've finished the Japanese, English and Geography homework, but I still don't understand the Math and Physics...and Mamoru might have the answers..." _She clasped her hands together. _"Oh dear Buddha! Please don't be mad! And please don't wake him up"_ She prayed, and slowly opened his door, her eye peeking through to see if he was awake. There was a large lump with black hair on Mamoru's bed, so she smiled to herself, turned on the flashlight, and tiptoed in.

Inside the dark room, Usagi felt as if she was inside the deep depths of hell, and if she made any noise, she'd wake up the devil. _"I really hope he doesn't wake up..."_ She thought, and shined the flashlight at his desk, where she found two books that said in big black letters, the words "MATH - IV - SUMMER HOMEWORK" and "PHYSICS - IV - SUMMER HOMEWORK". She quietly squealed and picked them up. _"Jackpot! I'll go quickly copy them and silently give them back in a jiffy!"_

And with that, she started on her way out when something grabbed her wrist. Usagi quickly turned around and saw Mamoru, who was sitting up on his bed, his hand holding onto her wrist hard like prison shackles. Very fitting for a room that was like the deep depths of hell.

"What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?" He asked, and Usagi couldn't get a sound to come out of her. "I-I-homework-and-" She stammered, and then cleared her throat. "I didn't mean to steal!" She squeaked as she dropped the books, and a teasing smile came onto his face. "I know," He said, and moved closer to her. "Then did you come to attack me?" He asked, his voice in a half-whisper, and Usagi started to stutter. "N-No! Actually, I-I came f-for-you-book-"

He pulled her down onto his bed, staring deep into her eyes. "You coming deep into the night into a man's room, and not for a secret attack? Then what?"

Usagi, under his grasp, couldn't say anything. Sure, he had her captive, but those blue eyes..."I-I came for y-your..." She repeated, but couldn't find her voice again.

"Don't worry, I won't reject you," Mamoru said quietly, moving closer to her. "Since there's no one in the house, and there's only the two of us..." He continued smiling, and Usagi's eyes widened. "After all..." His voice lowered. "Didn't Seiya say once that geniuses can turn into monsters?" He whispered in her ear as Usagi closed her eyes, and she started to yell.

"NO! This is too FAST!" She half-sobbed. "Even though I _really, REALLY _like you, Mamoru, we should at least maintain a healthy relationship first! I DON'T WANT- huh?"

She looked up and saw Mamoru laughing really hard, wiping a tear from his eye. "'Healthy relationship'? Don't worry, Odango, I have no intention on ever dating you."

"Y-You were joking with me?" She demanded, and his continuous laughing answered her question. "UGHHHH!" She became angry and immediately got up. "Well, FINE. I'm leaving!" She yelled, and started to storm out the door.

"Hey, you forgot this!" He said, smiling, picking up and holding up his two books. "Don't you want these?"

"You're too much! No, I DON'T want it!" She yelled angrily, and stormed out, slamming the door as she she left.

"Oh, well that's too bad. I was going to let you have it as my way of apologizing for scaring you just now."

His door slammed open, and there stood a beaming Usagi, her expression the complete opposite of three seconds ago. "Oh, really? All right then! I'll take it!" She exclaimed, and Mamoru sweatdropped as she quickly swiped it out of his hands. "Oh, and I'll need for you to help me copy it, too!" She added, and Mamoru smacked his forehead with his palm. "Oh God..." He muttered.

But ten minutes later, Mamoru was sitting at Usagi's desk, helping her copy the answers and explaining a little bit on each problem so that she'd understand. _"I can't believe I'm doing this. I better be extremely happy in my next ten lives."_ He thought.

"So, like this?" She asked, pointing at her notebook, and he shook his head. "No!" He said, and she looked at her notebook again, confused. "But it looks right to me..." She said and he grabbed her notebook from her, furiously explaining it to her. "_Why am I getting so worked up?"_ He thought, confused of his own actions. _"It's just one problem..."_

A few problems later, Usagi had seemed to get the hang of it, but had made the same mistake again. "Is this right?" She asked.

"No! How many times have I told you- according to the 30-60-90 triangle theorem, if this side is x, then this is x√2 and this'll be 2x!" He tried to keep his voice soft, as he had no idea why he was getting mad, but couldn't stop himself as he took the ruler and gently hit her on the head, causing her to squeak, "Itai!" in a voice which he thought was adorable.

_"Wait, did I just think her voice was cute? Ugh, it must be because of how late it is. I really shouldn't have agreed to help her..."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And she wants to be lifted up in his arms...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Since you all are in the lowest class, the best you could do is go with our school's escalator system and try to get into University. But you have to work hard for that, too, because not many Class F students advance to University in many schools." Haruna-sensei's statement left the room dead silent and all the Class 4-F students stared at her with wide eyes. She pursed her lips and one foolish student raised their hand. "Haruna-sensei, you're joking, right?"

The rest of the students stared at her with wider eyes, in hopes that she would just slap her knee and start laughing hysterically, and start telling them that it would be no big deal, that they'd all be able to go to University and graduate like proper students. But, much to their dismay, Haruna-sensei shook her head, her facial expression upset. "I'm sorry, Takamori-kun, but, unfortunately, about 30% of Class F students get to go to University. And it's not just our school, it's many schools across Japan that have that same percentage."

Usagi looked down at her desk, wondering if she would ever be part of that 30%. She could ask Mamoru to help tutor her, but, even though being a genius had its perks, he still had to study for the entrance exam for any higher university he was going to or applying for. There was no way on Earth that he would be going to University along with _her._

"WAHHHH!" Minako's loud voice rang out through the classroom during breaktime, everyone staring at her as if she was crazy. She rested her palms on her head dramatically, as if she were dizzy. "MY DREAMS OF GETTING INTO UNIVERSITY ARE CRUSHED!" She wailed, and Makoto hugged her, her eyes large with pity for her spastic friend. "Me too, Minako-chan!" She said, and the two started to complain and pity each other together. "Also, even if Usagi-chan makes it to University, she won't be with her hubby!" Minako cried, and Usagi froze in her tracks. "What?" She demanded, and spun around, her eyes ice cold.

Minako and Makoto stopped their fake crying and Minako pursed her lips, her eyes filled with fear. "N-Nothing." Usagi

Makoto slapped her blonde friend on the head. "How could you have said that, Minako-chan?" She scolded, and Minako smiled weakly, scared of Usagi's glare. "Well, after you left to see the Top 100 list the other day, you dropped your bag and I was going to give it back when that "luck charm" of yours fell out and...well, I kinda looked inside it." She laughed nervously.

Makoto slowly backed away from Minako as Usagi continued glaring at her friend, throwing daggers in her eyes. "And. Did. You. Post. One. Of. Them. On. The. Board. For. Everyone. To. See?" She slowly asked, and Minako gulped, still smiling weakly. "Heh..."

There was a long silence in the classroom now, as everyone's attention was now focused on the two blondes in the middle of the room, acting like they were in a predator/prey game. "Did you post one of the pictures, Aino Minako?" Usagi repeated coolly, her usually sparkling blue eyes now filled with danger towards her friend, who was shocked that she had used her full name.

Minako gulped again, sweat trickling down her forehead as she felt the deadly silence slowly killing her from the inside. "Yes." She squeaked, and no one spoke. Not until Usagi tackled her friend onto the floor, staring at her angrily. "MAMORU WAS SO MAD AT ME FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE FOREVER! DO YOU HAVE _ANY_ IDEA HOW THAT FELT?" She roared, and everyone stared, their eyes wide with shock.

"I'm sorry!" Minako yelped. "I thought it would bring you two closer together!"

Usagi groaned and rolled herself off of Minako, laying on the floor and repeatedly slamming her head into the floor. "Minako-chan..."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And he pretends not to see her or her love...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Mamoru!" Usagi exclaimed, finally catching up with him, panting heavily as she rested her hands on her knees. "I...finally...caught...up..."

Mamoru ignored her and kept on walking, continuing to read the book in his hands. Usagi looked up. "W-Wait!" She hollered, and ran up to him. "Let's walk home together!" She said, and he continued to be silent.

The autumn leaves swirled around in the cool breeze and Usagi shivered as she wrapped her scarf around herself tighter. She didn't know how to pop the question to him. "_There has to be some way, though."_ She thought. The question had been bothering her all day, and she had to ask him somehow.

"Are you going to ask me if I decided which university I'm going to?" He asked nonchalantly, not taking his eyes off his book.

Usagi gawked at him. "Y-Yeah...HOW-"

"It's the only reason I assumed that you'd want to talk to me, as the lecture of picking University took up about 75% of our classtimes today."

Usagi continued to stare at him. He really was a genius. That, or she hadn't thought of how to ask the question rather properly.

After a long silence, Usagi finally asked him. "Have you decided which university you're going to?" She tapped her finger on her chin thoughtfully, as if she was in deep thought. "Hmmmm lemme guess! A genius like you...Tokyo University, right?"

"What does it have to do with you?" He asked, still reading his book.

"Oh, just tell me! It's not like I'm going there, anyways." Usagi mumbled, upset.

"I won't go for Tokyo University's exam."

Usagi stopped in her tracks and stared. Everyone in Class 4-A, she heard, was going to go to Tokyo University's exam. But not the number one genius in the neighborhood? "EH? But," She ran up, trying to catch up with him. "If you don't take it, then who will?" She demanded.

Mamoru closed his book and then looked at Usagi in the eyes for the first time ever since he tutored her during the last two days of summer. "I don't have a reason to go there! It's not like I'm _supposed_ to go there!"

Usagi's head cocked to the side. "Then...does that mean you'll go to our school's direct-link University?" She asked, confused.

"As I said earlier, that doesn't concern you!" He shot, and this angered Usagi. "Of course it does! I want to be wherever you are for the rest of my life, so don't you say it doesn't concern me!" She shot back, and then crossed her arms. "So HA!" She added, and stuck out her tongue. Mamoru stared at her with wide navy eyes, and she started to turn red as she realized what she had just confessed. He turned around after a few moments, hands in his pockets. "It won't matter, because no matter where I go, you'll never be able to catch up." He simply said, and started walking home. Usagi smacked her forehead with her palm. "Geniuses." She muttered, and continued to walk home.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~But floating in his mind is the image of her smiling face in front of him, and she says...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Have you gotten everything?" Saori asked timidly, checking if Mamoru had his student ID, his phone, his bag, a watter bottle, and a few of the "nutritional snacks he should have before the exam so his mind doesn't wobble off".

"Yes, Ma." Mamoru repeated, annoyed that she had been checking up on everything he did lately ever since he and Papa had gotten into a fight last night on whether he had to go to the Tokyo University entrance exam or not. Last night was so intense that it had kept repeating in his mind over and over again ever since Papa stormed off to his bedroom and slammed the door. And it had all started because of the Odango.

_"So, Mamoru," Usagi began, helping Saori set the coffee on the living room coffee table for everyone to drink two hours before dinner. "You're going to the Tokyo University entrance exam tomorrow, right? Do you have everything you need?"_

_ Mamoru, who was resting comfortably on the sofa, thought he had reminded her during their little chat last week that he wasn't going, but maybe the _Odango-baka_ didn't get it. He raised his cup of coffee to his lips and took a sip of the hot brew, still not taking his eyes off the book he had been reading for two weeks. Normally it would take him three days to finish a book, but with the Odango and Shingo around, constantly arguing, he had a hard time concentrating. "I told you, I'm not going, Odango."_

_ "My name is not-"_

_ "What do you mean, you're not going?" Kobayashi's angry voice demanded._

_ Mamoru put his book down and looked up at his father, who was glaring at him angrily as he set down the newspaper he was reading. Usagi, who had realized she had caused some commotion, whimpered a little and mumbled something about getting more coffee and sweets before fluttering out of the living room, her ponytails dancing behind her. _

_ "I don't want to go to the Tokyo University entrance exam. I have no intention or reason on going there." Mamoru repeated, taking another sip from his cup, looking his father straight in the eyes. _

_ "But what about my company?" Kobayashi demanded. "Remember, I have a toy company that needs someone to run it while I'm gone! And that someone is you! And in order to get to that level, you need to go to Tokyo University!" _

_ "Why?" Mamoru retorted. "Why do I need to fulfill YOUR dream? Don't I have any dreams of my own?" _

_ "Do you?" Kobayashi asked angrily, and Mamoru looked away, suddenly quiet. "Do you have any dreams, Mamoru?" His father repeated, his rounded figure waddling over to Mamoru. "I never see you showing any particular interest into any particular field of work!" _

_ Mamoru couldn't help but feel that his father was right. He never showed any interest in any subject at school. He would just ace all the exams and make 100s in each subject. When asked his favorite class, he would just shrug his shoulders. _

_ "Now, you will take that exam whether you like it or not!" Kobayashi yelled, and waddled towards his bedroom and then slammed the door loudly, not ever coming out. _

"Oh, Mamoru!" A familiar voice piped, and Mamoru turned around. There stood Usagi, at the foot of the stairs, holding a red piece of ribbon with the words "GO FOR IT MAMORU" were written in gold lettering. "What is that?" Shingo asked, coming out of the kitchen with a sticky sweet bun in his hands.

Usagi looked at the ribbon and smiled. "It's a good luck charm for Mamoru!" She exclaimed. "It'll help you do well on the exam!" She ran towards Mamoru and quickly grabbed his bag, tying on the ribbon tightly. "Now, it won't come off!"

"It's ridiculous. Good luck ribbons never work, Odango." Mamoru told her, but Saori clasped her hands happily. "No, no, Mamoru! It's very thoughtful of her! I'm sure it'll help you!"

"Help him escape, maybe." A tired, gruff voice came from the corner and everyone turned around, Kobayashi's figure coming out of the shadows. "Uncle Koba!" Usagi piped, her voice up two octaves than usual. There was a long silence, and then Usagi started to put on her shoes. "What are you doing?" Shingo demanded, and Usagi stood up, starting to put on her jacket and scarf. "I'm going to make sure Mamoru goes through those entrance exam doors and doesn't escape! For Uncle Koba's sake!" She declared, and Saori and Kobayashi smiled while Mamoru and Shingo frowned.

"That's very sweet of you, Usagi-chan." Kobayashi said, grinning widely, his expression the complete opposite of the night before. Usagi smiled back, feeling nice for making Kobayashi happy.

"No! Don't let her go!" Shingo's voice shattered Usagi's good feeling. "Don't let an _odango-baka_ go with _Onii-chan_! She'll only cause him trouble! He'll probably fail!"

Usagi glared at him. "Hey! That's mean!" She shot at him, and he stuck his tongue out. Saori gently hit him on the shoulders. "Hey, don't be mean to Sister Usagi! She's being nice!"

"Forget it, I don't need an escort." Mamoru said as he headed for the door, and Kobayashi sighed. "Fine. I knew you weren't going to agree. Look, Sao. He doesn't even listen to his own parents!"

Mamoru stopped in the doorway, not replying to him. He sighed, and then turned around, his dark blue eyes admitting defeat. "Well, are you coming or not?" He asked Usagi.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Meeting the right person is a kind of fate/I cannot disagree girls still need to know their standpoint...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_ "The next stop is coming up soon. Please exit at the left."_ The train's automatic voice chimed as Usagi looked out the window. The whole city seemed to be covered with snow like a beautiful wonderland, and she couldn't help but admire how wonderful it looked. It looked like little angels were floating down from the sky in their pure, white coats, gathering together to make a large, white blanket that covered the city to protect it from darkness. That, or she had been reading too many romance mangas lately. She turned to Mamoru, who looked rather upset, and stood on her toes to get a better glance of his face. "Hey, are you scared?" She asked.

He turned to her, confused. "What?"

"Are you scared for the exam?"

"No."

"Oh."

A short conversation as it was, Usagi was happy enough that they had actually talked. She had wanted to apologize for asking the question that triggered the tense argument between Mamoru and his father, but she didn't know how to put it. "Well, good lu-"

A sharp pain in her stomach cut off her words and she clutched her stomach, wondering why on Earth it was hurting _so badly_. She hadn't eaten anything wrong lately, had she? Except...she was the only one that actually tried that chicken stew she attempted to make while she was in the kitchen with Auntie the other day. Oh no.

She then noticed that Mamoru had glanced over at her, and she waved her hands. "It's fine!" She told him, and he looked away._ "Oh God...why didn't I cook the chicken for a longer time?" _She wondered regretfully. _"Hopefully it's not major food poisoning, or-"_

"Oh crap." Mamoru said, and Usagi turned to him. "What's wrong?" She asked, and he pointed at the lucky charm she made for him. It was tightly stuck between the train doors behind them. "And we get off at the…." Her eyes widened.

"Opposite exit." He finished her sentence, and Usagi immediately bent down, trying to pull the ribbon out of the doors. "Isn't there any way we can persuade the driver to open these doors?" She asked, and he smacked his forehead. _"Baka!"_ He said, and put his hands around hers, tried to help her pull it out. "Pull harder!" He commanded, and she nodded, ignoring the increasing pain in her stomach.

The train started to slow down, and the train's automated voice announced that they were at the last stop, and to exit from the right entrance. "WAIT!" Usagi yelled, and continued pulling out the ribbon from the left entrance.

With one final pull, the ribbon was pulled out, and the two went flying out the right entrance right before it closed. Usagi blinked and noticed she was on top of Mamoru in a pile of snow and quickly got up, brushing the pieces of white blanket off her clothes. "Phew!" She wiped the sweat off her forehead. "It's a good thing I came, huh, Mamoru?"

Mamoru hit his head again, and Usagi's head cocked to the side. "What?" She asked curiously, but he just shook his head.

The two started to walk towards the entrance exam doors of Tokyo University quietly. Usagi wanted to speak, but her stomach had been hurting too much, as if someone had made her swallow sharp nails and they were now poking her stomach. She clutched her stomach, groaning softly in hopes that it would make the pain go away, but her hopes were crushed as her stomach started hurting even more. _"No!"_ She thought. _"I _have_ to make sure Mamoru goes through those doors and takes that exam!"_

Finally, the two reached the doors to the entrance exam and Mamoru turned around. "Happy?" He asked, and she weakly smiled, nodding frantically. "You can go home now and tell my father that I actually made it." Usagi nodded again and Mamoru turned around, starting to walk towards the table where he would check in.

Once Usagi saw him check in, she continued clutching her stomach and then started to feel dizzy, the pain increasing dramatically now. She started coughing and started to feel lightheaded, hoping that someone from home or familiar other than Mamoru would find her soon and take her to a hospital. But it seemed as if no one saw her, and she started coughing harder. She half-closed her eyes and fell on her knees in the snow, wanting to just fall asleep in it's soft blanket.

"Are you all right?" A voice asked, and Mamoru stopped walking and turned around, seeing two or three college girls looking worriedly at someone who seemed to be half-sitting in the snow. Someone with long blonde pigtails and odangos. He ran back to the entrance gate and saw Usagi, crouching in the snow, clutching her stomach. "Oi!" He called to her, and she turned around, surprised that he was there. Her face was paler than usual, and she looked really weak. Didn't she look fine earlier? "What's wrong?" He asked, his eyes widening in worry, and she shook her head frantically. "Nothing!" She said quickly, I'm fine, really! Just go take your exam! Just go..." She said, and then passed out, falling in the snow.

"Usagi!" Mamoru said, and ran towards her.

**A/N:**** WOO! CLIFFY! XD This chapter is rather long compared to the others...it's almost twice the usual size O.o Sorry if it seems a bit too long or rushed! :P Now I must go read over hospital guidelines so that I can go to volunteer work for the next few weeks...**

**As you may have noticed, Usagi HAS, indeed, turned red a lot in this chapter XD our dear little bunny ^o^ 3**

*** - For those of you who don't know, this means "Shut up, tiny". HA, TAKE THAT, ANNOYING LITTLE BROTHER OF THE HOUSE! -.-'' Yuuki/Yu Shu always annoyed me as he was always mean to Kotoko/Xiang Qin and I never liked him until the end (I'm not saying what happens in the end, or else it'll be a spoiler(; Was that a spoiler? Oops...)**

**Teehee, hope you enjoyed! I had lots of fun writing this chapter ^o^ YAY FOR LONG-WAITED FLAMES! And if you enjoyed this chapter, then you'll absolutely **_**love**_** the upcoming chapters, because the story gets even MORE dramatic and sweeter from here(;**

**Review?(: 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**** Ugh, I wrote something wrong in the A/N last time! Ugh, sorry! USAGI AND MAMORU ARE IN CLASS ****4, NOT 3!**** ~facepalm~ Sorry, dear people): So, as I was saying, thank you all for the amazing reviews and following/favoriting! I'm really glad you guys liked that chapter!(: **

**An announcement:**** I keep getting reviews after EACH CHAPTER is uploaded from the SAME people saying that the story needs to hurry up because they want more romance or for some other reason, and this is what I have to say: STOP FOLLOWING THE STORY, THEN. I'm not going to change the way my story is going just for one person. If you don't like how it is, then stop reading it. It's not my problem. **

**As for the rest of you, thank you so much for the kind reviews, and here is my treat: A quick update! (: Enjoy Chapter 6! **

_**Disclaimer! I don't own Sailor Moon or Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss!**_

**Chapter 6**

Mamoru forgot all about the exam and bent down to the passed out Usagi, who was laying in the snow, her eyes closed and her face paler that usual. He put his right arm underneath her knees, his left arm around her back, and stood up, holding her in his arms like he had when she burnt her foot in the kitchen a few months ago. He turned to the college girls and asked, "Where is the university hospital?" He demanded, and one of them pointed to a large, grey building nearby. "It's just around that block," She said, and she looked at Usagi. "Are you sure you don't want us to call an ambulance?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the petite teenager.

"It's close, so there's no need to." He told her, and started to walk quickly towards the hospital. He looked down at Usagi, who, even though she was unconscious, was mumbling under her breath. "Mamoru...get back to your exam...hurry..." She mumbled, and he stared at the unconscious girl in his arms. _"Why is she so insistent I get to the exam? Isn't she worried about her own health?"_ He couldn't help but wonder, and the young girl started to cough again, her condition seeming to worsen. Mamoru started to worry and rushed faster to the hospital. "_Hang in there, Usagi!_" He thought, and continued to rush, her ponytails starting to brush against his legs as he rushed. He was so close to her that he could smell her scent-vanilla and strawberries- and feel her breath breathing on his chest. He sighed and thanked God that his mother wasn't there to see that he was carrying her.

Fifteen minutes later, a doctor walked into the pearl white room in which Usagi was laying on a bed and Mamoru was sitting on the chair right next to it. "Well?" He asked, and the doctor cleared his throat as he looked at the clipboard in his hands. "She has appendicitis. She can be discharged if she stays here for the rest of the day and has treatment. It's minor, though, and she can go home in the evening. It seems as if she's had it for a while and she's been enduring the pain for a while." He said, and left the room as Mamoru stared at Usagi, the doctor's words sinking into his mind. "_A while...? Why didn't she say something earlier?_" He wondered as a nurse came in, having to poke him a few times until he realized there was another person in the room other than him and Usagi. "Excuse me sir, but I need you to show me your ID."

Mamoru nodded and took out his ID, showing it to the nurse, who immediately started giggling. "T-Thank you, sir." She chuckled, and walked out, giggling madly. Mamoru looked at his ID and sweatdropped. Around his photo, a few hearts were drawn, and around his information, the words "GO FOR IT MAMORU! GOOD LUCK ON THE EXAM!" were written largely. He turned around to see the only person who would write that on his stuff, only to see that she still hadn't woken up. The nurse came back in, looking at him. "Oh, you're a student!" She said, glancing at her watch and remembering what she saw on his ID. "If you're here for the exam, you still have time to make it! We have contacted her family, so it's all right. She's safe in our hands; you may leave."

"Thank you." Mamoru nodded, and glanced at the sleeping Usagi just before he left.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You need to aim at the person you want/No longer want to wait?/I'll send you my lips and be yours...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Usagi-chan! Usagi-chan!" Saori called out to the girl sleeping on the bed in front of her, whose eyes slowly fluttered and opened to reveal tired blue eyes. "Auntie...?" She whispered, her vision blurred for a moment and then sharpened to see her father and Saori sitting on her bed. She smiled weakly and Saori hugged her tightly. "Thank Buddha!" She squealed, not letting go.

"Thank Buddha indeed." Kenji agreed, and Usagi turned to him. "Papa...what happened?" She asked, starting to feel a tiny pain in her head and started to massage her head.

"Mamoru called, saying that you had fainted when you guys had reached the entrance exam building, and he got you here," He paused as Saori started sadly muttering under her breath about not being able to take a picture of Mamoru carrying Usagi to the hospital. "He said it was appendicitis, and that the doctor said it was minor, and that you can come home tonight! Mamoru-"

"Mamoru!" Usagi shouted his name, suddenly remembering what had happened when Kenji stopped talking. She saw Mamoru asking if she was okay, had passed out after her stomach pain had reached its peak, and everything had blacked out after that. "Where is he? Did he reach his exams on time?"

"Yes, he did." Saori rested her hand on Usagi's shoulder. "It's all right, Usagi-chan! Mamoru is taking the exam now as we speak! In fact-"

"Oh, you're awake?" A smooth baritone voice asked, and everyone froze. Three pairs of wide eyes turned around and saw Mamoru in the doorway, who was looking only at the pair of bright blue eyes that were staring at him from the bed. "Are you all right?"

"M-Mamoru?" She asked, her voice is a silent whisper.

"Mamoru, what are you doing here?" Saori asked, her voice two octaves higher than usual.

"I felt hungry after I dropped Odango off at the hospital, so I thought I would go and eat something." He simply said, and Saori's jaw dropped.

"So you went to the exam late? How did you finish it on time?" Kenji asked, and Mamoru shook his head. "I didn't finish it. I didn't take the exam, Uncle." He replied, and there was a deadly silence around the little room as the two adults stared at the student in the doorway, whose eyes were closed. Usagi, however, had curled up on the bed and was looking down, her heart pounding in the walls of her chest. "I knew it..." She whispered, and everyone turned around to her. Shingo's previous words from when she said she wanted to go with Mamoru were echoing through her mind over and over like a broken record- _"She'll only cause him trouble!"_

"Shingo's right," Usagi said, her voice breaking and small tears streaming down her cheek. "I _do_ cause trouble. That's t-the only thing I-I'm good at, and now, b-because of me, Mamoru's not going to T-Tok-" Her voice finally broke and she started sobbing, hiding her head on her knees while covering her head with her arms. "It's all my fault!" She cried, and Saori rested her hand on her shoulder again. "Usagi-chan..."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Say that you love me/Say that you care...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Koba-chan!" Kenji knelt down before Kobayashi, his hands clasped down as if he was bowing down to a great king. "I'm so sorry, Koba-chan!"

Kobayashi backed away. "K-Ken-chan! Please get up!" He told his best friend, taking his hands and helping him up.

"B-But because of my daughter, your son-"

"It's all right, Ken-chan." Kobayashi said, although his tone of voice suggested the opposite when he started speaking his elder son's first name. "Mamoru is the one who decided not to go to the exam. Don't blame Usagi-chan at all!"

"I'm so sorry!" Kenji repeated, trying to bow again, but Kobayashi stopped him before he could continue and put his arm around him. "It's all right, Ken-chan," He repeated, and Saori clasped her hands together happily. "This means now, he can go to Usagi's university!" She exclaimed, and she started to dance around happily as Usagi watched the three adults from behind a wall. _"Thank you, Uncle and Auntie..."_ She thought, glancing down at the bags laying on her feet. _"...but I can't stay here any longer. It's best if I leave, or else I'll bother Mamoru even more, and because of me, his life might even..."_

She waited until everyone had gone to sleep and when she made sure that no one would wake up while she was leaving and started to tip-toe towards the exit. She put her good-bye letter by the vase of red roses by the entrance and silently closed the door as glanced back up at the Chiba household. "Goodbye, everyone." She whispered, and started to walk away when she heard the voice that belonged to the reason she was leaving. "Those bags look heavy," It said. "Do you need some help?"

Usagi looked up and saw Mamoru, watching the petite girl struggling with pulling her bags, and she looked away. "Where are you going?" He asked, and she pursed her lips. "Don't try to stop me!" She said, and Mamoru shook his head. "Who's stopping you? I'm asking if you need any help carrying those bags as you leave." He looked at her questioningly. "Why _are_ you leaving, exactly? You just recovered, are you sure you should be leaving at this time of night?"

Usagi looked down. "I'm leaving, because...I'm such a nuisance...And if I stay any longer, Mamoru, then I'll probably mess up your life even more..."

Mamoru rested his head on his crossed arms on the windowsill, nodding. "That's true. Ever since you gave me that love letter and you moved into our house, I've had nothing but trouble. Rumors running through the school about us going out and even sleeping together, being dragged into giving you tuition and even your whole class tuition, now this exam..."

Usagi gasped and couldn't believe she had almost forgotten. About two months ago, she had convinced him to tutor her whole class (except for Seiya, who claimed he was so smart and that he'd "get 100% on the exam without that _baka_'s help") for the final exam, as everyone had begged and pleaded her to get the genius' help so that they could all go to University. Usagi's heart was touched, so she brought her whole class home, and after some hard persuasion from Auntie Saori, Mamoru finally admitted defeat and tutored the whole Class F. Everyone, except for Seiya, ended up making it to University, so they all made a blue-eyed plush doll with two blonde odangos on her head and two ponytails cascading down from there. They called it a "Usagi doll" and gave it to him as a Christmas present. He wanted to refuse it, but Saori had glared at him and told him to keep it as they were all so kind to even think of making him a present in the first place. Usagi, however, had wanted to get him something better, so she had taken up a job as a waitress for a week at another restaurant and ended up buying a massager. Even though he thought it was for old people, he had accepted it when he heard that she worked two hours a day for a week just to buy it for him. Usagi, however, thought he had thrown it away after she gave it to him because she couldn't find it in the house anywhere.

"But..." Mamoru's voice shattered her from her flashback back to reality and Usagi looked up at him, watching him continue to talk as he gazed up at the stars as if he were talking to himself. "I realized that all those things were really interesting. I discovered that I've never actually been through this kind of trouble before, and this is the first time I've gone through my life actually thinking, 'Oh no!' or 'What should I do?'. You've brought me new experiences." He looked down at her, and realized that her cheeks had turned a little pink, and that she looked away from his gaze, silent.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Usagi looked up at him. "So...does this mean..."

"Yes, Odango, I'm going to your University."

"Really?" Her face brightened, and he nodded, looking away from her. "It's not your fault that I didn't take the exam, you know."

"Huh?" She looked up at him, her big blue eyes confused. "What do you mean?"

"After I dropped you off at the hospital, I still had lots of time to make it to the exam," He looked up at the stars again, gazing at them intensely. "But I started to question the fact whether I really wanted to go to Tokyo University or not. I knew I was doing it for my father's wishes, but I started to wonder if I myself had any dreams." He looked down at Usagi. "I also asked you what you wanted to do once you got to University, remember?"

Usagi nodded, remembering the time after her class had left after Mamoru had finished tutoring them, he asked her what she had wanted to be when she grew up and why she was going to University to achieve that goal. Usagi had no idea, though, on what she had wanted to become. "_Ano,_ Mamoru?" She looked up, her expression a bit shy as she twisted her toe on the pavement.

"What?"

"So does this mean I can stay here?" She asked shyly, and he sighed, looking away from her. "I can always take the Tokyo University exam another time...I guess if you're around, then life will become more exciting and interesting, so I guess it's not bad if you stay around. Plus, it's not like I own the house that you need to ask me. But yeah, I guess it's fine if you stay."

Usagi smiled widely. "Really?"

"Yes."

Usagi started to cheer. "Thank you, Mamoru! I promise I won't bother you anymore!" She promised, and he shook his head. "That's sort of impossible for you to do, isn't it?" He asked, and she blushed. "True," She half-giggled. "But I promise I'll keep life exciting!" She declared, her eyes shining and Mamoru nodded. "I'm looking forward to it. Now, get back in before my mother notices that you're gone and chops me into pieces."

Usagi nodded ecstatically and then rushed towards the door but stopped as she saw Mamoru starting to shut his window. "_Ano, _Mamoru!"

"What?" He asked.

"I love you!"

Mamoru huffed. "I've heard that too many times already." He whispered and shut his window as Usagi smiled and then rushed into the door, as she didn't want the guy she loved to be majorly questioned by his mother.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Say that you love me/Say that you care...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Did you hear? Chiba-kun didn't go to the Tokyo University entrance exam because of Tsukino-san!"

"I heard it was because she was tied on train tracks and he saved her from being run over! Lucky her!"

"Really? I heard it was because she had confessed to him again and he couldn't get rid of her, so he ended up being late and the professors didn't accept him."

"No, no, it was because she poisoned his drink, and he had to be rushed to the hospital, causing him to miss the exam!"

"Is that so? Wow! That Tsukino-san is rather over-ambitious."

This was not how Usagi wanted the day of her high school graduation to start- rumors spreading like wildfire throughout the school as to how it was because of her that the #1 genius in the area wasn't going to one of the largest universities ever. And the good thing and the problem with that was, no one had seemed to know the real reason as to why Mamoru hadn't gone to the Tokyo University entrance exam. It was good for Mamoru since he had wanted it to be kept a secret, but Usagi thought it was terrible since everyone was spreading rumors as to how she stopped him from going._ "Oh dear..."_ She thought, upset. _"This is the worst day of my life!"_

"Usagi-chan!" Ami, Minako and Makoto's voices called out to her, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw her friends waving at her, their faces gleaming happily. "Hi guys!" She told them, and Minako started to half-hug, half-choke her. "USAGI-CHAN!" She cried, and Usagi looked up at her, confused. "W-What?"

"We'll be going to University together!" She sobbed, and Usagi smiled, trying to loosen Minako's choking grip on her. "I-Isn't that a good thing?" She managed to ask as she started to lose air. "W-Why are you crying?"

"BECAUSE IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!" She cried, and Usagi giggled at her dramatic friend as Makoto and Ami rolled their eyes, although smiling.

"And plus," Minako cut off their embrace, her eyes shining brightly at Usagi. "Your hubby is coming with us to the school's University! Who would've thought? He must really love you!"

"M-Minako-chan," Usagi whispered, scared that Mamoru would hear them, as he was only a few feet away, talking to another Class A student. "P-Please stop calling him my hubby!"

"Why?" She asked, her expression confused. "You guys look soooo cute together!

"Minako-chan, I think you should-" Ami began, but Minako went on. "And I," She pointed her finger up the air. "am the child of love! Aino Minako means child of love!"

"Minako-chan, shut-" Makoto was waving her arms back and forth, but Minako ignored her. "And this child of love says you two are cute together, so I believe I have some autho-"

"Oi, what are you telling everyone now?" Mamoru, who was standing right behind a shocked Minako asked Usagi, who was shocked as well. "N-Nothing, I swear! She was just-"

"Whatever. Don't mess up your speech today during graduation." He said, and started to walk away from her as Usagi smacked her forehead. "I can't believe I forgot! Seiya and I are the representatives for Class F and we have to give a speech! OH GOD!"

Minako, however, had other problems. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME HE WAS RIGHT BEHIND ME SO THAT I COULD AVOID MAKING A FOOL OF MYSELF?" She demanded of Ami and Makoto, who were shaking their heads at her. "We tried to tell you," Ami said. "But you simply wouldn't listen."

Suddenly, the bell started to ring and there was an announcement by Principal Aori for all the graduates to hurry and come to the theater if they hadn't already. "Looks like we need to go now," Makoto said to Minako and Ami. "Usagi-chan, are you ready? Since you need to-" She turned around and found nothing. "Where'd Usagi-chan go?"

Ami and Minako shrugged. "Maybe she left already?" Ami asked, beginning to walk towards the theater.

"No, no, Usagi-chan is always late," Makoto said. "Maybe she forgot something at home and went back to get it?"

"Well I hope she gets back really soon, or else Seiya will have to give his speech by himself, and..." Minako never finished her sentence, but muttered something under her breath about Class F looking like a bunch of simpletons as she walked with her friends to graduate.

Usagi, though, was hiding behind two curtains by the entrance of the theater, and trying to make up a speech on the spot. "Uh...'Greetings, comrades'! No, that sounds too awkward. 'Hey, guys! How are ya?'. No, too informal. 'Hello, my fellow classmates!'. Yes, that works," She muttered to herself. "Now, what next? Umm 'Don't you feel wonderful now that your high school career is over?' No, that sounds too weird. UGHHH!" Usagi stomped her foot angrily. "Why on Earth did I say I'd be the spokesperson?" She asked herself, and tangled her hands in her hair. "Why, why, why?" She started to pound her head against the wall.

"And now," Principal Aori spoke over the microphone to the large crowd, "We'd like to begin our ceremony."

Usagi smacked her forehead. _"Oh no!"_ She thought. _"Everyone has been seated by now and so are all the parents and guests! I can't go now to my seat without embarrassing myself!" _"First, we'll have our speeches from Class A and Class F. From Class A is Chiba Mamoru. Please give him a hand."

Everyone started clapping as Mamoru got up and walked up to the stage. Usagi peeked from her hiding spot behind the curtains and stared as he cleared his throat and started to speak into the microphone. _"Wah..."_ Usagi thought, feeling a familiar feeling stirring in her again._ "It's just like 3 years ago, when I saw him give his speech at the Freshmen orientation. I fell in love with him instantly and had admired him ever since..." _Her cheeks reddened a little and she couldn't help but continue to stare at him. _"Lots of things have happened ever since, like my confession and moving in his home, and even though I may be a nuisance..." _She blushed harder as she remembered what he told her- _"I guess if you're around, then life will become more exciting and interesting."_

She smiled to herself happily, hugging herself. "I can't-"

"TSUKINO USAGI!" The voice boomed, and Usagi screamed, startled, and nodded. "PRESENT!" She called out, and then realized no one could see her. She started to walk out of her hiding spot when she tangled her foot in the curtains, causing her to trip and have the curtains fall on top of her. "_Itai!_" She half-wailed, rubbing her head quickly to stop it from hurting. She then realized that everyone was staring at her and she quickly got up, brushing the dust off her uniform. "P-Present!" She repeated, and Principal Aori glared at her. "You're supposed to come up here and give your speech along with Kou-kun. You _are_ ready, right?"

"_H-Hai! _" She said, and Seiya appeared out of nowhere, gesturing to his arm. "Come on, Usagi! Let's walk together!" And Usagi waved his arm away. "Shush, Seiya! We're only walking to the stage!" She whispered, and continued to walk side-by-side with him to their destination.

"Take my arm!" Seiya gestured again, and Usagi shook her head, sweatdropping. "No!" She whispered fiercely as she continued walking and gulped as she saw that the whole theater was staring at her and Seiya. She pursed her lips and they approached the steps. However, Seiya was in his own little world.

"These steps...it's like our wedding ceremony!" Seiya said aloud, and Usagi turned to him, confused. "What?" She asked, bewildered and he turned around, his mind seeing Mamoru as a wild animal, being put down by two big security guards, screaming Usagi's name as Seiya and Usagi approached the steps. He smiled and stuck his tongue. "Loser!" He called out, and the people in the theater stared at him as if he had gone mad.

"Seiya, what are you doing?" Usagi asked, freaked out and Seiya turned to her, viewing her in a bride's dress. "Oh, my dear Usagi!" He said, and Usagi backed away. "W-What?"

"Come on, let's hurry!" He said, and took her hand, helping her hurry up the steps.

"Kou Seiya, do you take Tsukino Usagi to be your lawfully wedded wife in times of health-" Seiya imagined the priest speaking, and he nodded ecstatically. "YES, I PLEDGE TO LOVE HER FOREVER AS SHE BECOMES MY WIFE!" He yelled, and the principal hit him gently on the head. "Oi, Kou-kun, what do you think you're doing?" Aori demanded, and Seiya shook his head back to reality. "Oh...woops..."

He looked back at the audience, and everyone burst out laughing. Usagi, who had turned red as a tomato, was silent and clutching the Class F certificates in her hands tightly, and he looked back and forth from her to the principal to the audience. His eyes scanned the audience and realized that Chiba Mamoru! He was smirking! How dare he!

Seiya grabbed the microphone and pointed at Mamoru. "OI, CHIBA!" He yelled angrily. "Don't think that just because you're going to the same university as my Usagi means that your mind can be at rest! I will join society earlier than you to become a chef and marry her right away!" He started to laugh as Mamoru raised an eyebrow, confused. Usagi hid her face, her face burning red. "Seiya, shut up!" She muttered, her face shocked.

"And I'm sure no one from the audience will have an objection!" Seiya called out, and the theater was silent until a large, female voice rang out. "OBJECTION!" The all-too familiar voice yelled, and Usagi felt as if someone had cut off her breathing. No. It couldn't get any worse. Oh God, no.

Saori stood up, her finger pointing at the area Mamoru was sitting. "MAMORU, GET UP AND FIGHT! FIGHT FOR HER!" She commanded, and Mamoru smacked his forehead with his palm. Laughter burst throughout the area, and Usagi couldn't believe this was happening. "Seiya, you _BAKA_!" She screamed, turned away, started to run away from him, but ended up tripping over the stairs and fell, her face flat on the floor and spilling all the certificates around her. "Uh-oh..." She started to pick them up frantically when she noticed a hand with a few certificates in them. "Oh, thank you-" She took the certificates and noticed it was Mamoru's hand. He certainly didn't look happy. He grabbed her cheek, pinching it hard, and yelled, _"Odango Baka!"_ loudly in her ear.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fate is still very indeed meeting the right one...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Kanpai!" The Class F students cheered as they clinked one another's glasses (or attempted to) against each other, trying to drown out the Class A's teacher's voice, as he was continuously going on about how they had made it to high universities without even trying, how he was so proud of them, and how he was probably the most honored teacher in the world.

"Oh, why, did they have to be seated near us?" Seiya complained, covering his ears with his hands, now watching as their teacher started to fight with the Class A teacher about what was most important and expected of students as well as teachers.

"But, you know," The Class A teacher now spoke loudly so that everyone from the Class F side could hear. "One of your students got in the way of one of mine." He said coolly, and there was complete silence.

Usagi pursed her lips, knowing fully well that he was talking about her. Everyone except Mamoru turned to her, now staring at her, as if they were looking deep into her soul, and she backed away.

"HEY! IT ISN'T USAGI-CHAN'S FAULT! SHE DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE!" Minako's voice rang throughout the party area, and Usagi's eyes widened. "Oh, no, Minako-chan..." She whispered.

"I heard that, because of her," The teacher adjusted his glasses, not taking his eyes off of Usagi. "A student of mine didn't want to go to Tokyo University."

"Teacher," Mamoru's voice suddenly called out to him, and everyone turned around, confused that he was interjecting. "You can't blame her for my decision."

The teacher stared at him in disbelief. "But, Chiba-"

"It's impossible for me to give up on going to Tokyo University for that kind of person's sake. Saying that I was to change my life because of that person would be rather humiliating. She's not that bright, either, so-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'THAT PERSON'?" Usagi yelled, and everyone now turned to a steaming Usagi, who looked as if she had wanted to tear Mamoru apart, limb by limb. "And although I've given you SOME trouble, that doesn't mean you have to keep emphasizing on how important a person's IQ or brightness is!" She shot at him, her eyes blazing fire. "If you keep judging people on how bright they are, then," Her eyes produced angry tears, hoping that whatever she was yelling at him was going through his thick head. "AREN'T YOU MAKING A MISTAKE?"

Mamoru smirked as Usagi quickly wiped her eyes. "It would be more suitable if someone from Class A said that," He told her. "But seeing that it's coming from someone in Class F, that just makes it far less convincing."

"YOU..." Usagi couldn't search for the right words. "BAD-HEARTED, COLD-BLOODED MAN! YOU'RE TERRIBLE!" She yelled at him, and he just smiled at her. "But you love that terrible, bad-hearted, cold-blooded man, don't you?" He teased, and she staggered back, her face turning red.

"Yeah!" Motoki walked up to Mamoru, resting his hand on his shoulder and looking at Usagi. "Didn't you write him a love letter, Tsukino-san?"

"Yeah, but she got rejected on the spot!" A girl near him said, and other people started to agree with her, and chuckling at the red-faced odango.

"You also gave him a MASSAGER! Isn't that for OLD people?" Another girl chimed in, and more people started to laugh.

"You're so senseless!" A guy from Class A said, "And if you think he likes you just because you got him to tutor you and the whole Class F, then think about it sensibly: Did he ever give you chocolates on Valentine's Day? Did he ever say 'I love you'? Did he ever read your love letter?" He finished, and everyone burst out laughing.

That did it. That snapped Usagi, and she shoved her hands in her pocket. "Go on, ridicule me." She muttered under her breath, and everyone wiped their tears of laughter from their eyes, still looking at her. "But!" She exclaimed, smiling teasingly at Mamoru, and felt the familiar glossy rectangle in her skirt pocket. She never, ever, had gotten rid of it, just in case. For emergency reasons.

"I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS OF MAMORU'S PAST!" She yelled at the top of her lungs and whipped out the picture of the smiling, happy young Mamoru wearing a yellow dress with bright pink flowers on it. Everyone stared at the picture, cooing at it as Mamoru's navy eyes widened in shock. "You...you...!"

"Aww! So pretty!" A Class A girl exclaimed.

"Oh my, that's such a cute little girl!" A Class F boy observed.

"Who is it, Tsukino-san?" Motoki asked.

Usagi's smile widened as the Class F and, especially the Class A, students asked eagerly about who the person that was such a cute little child was. "This, my dear colleagues," She looked at Mamoru, her eyes flashing with pure revenge. "is Mamoru as a child."

There was a loud burst of laughter as everyone tried to grab the childhood picture of Mamoru from a grinning and jumping Usagi's hands. "Oh, look, look!" Usagi exclaimed, making sure everyone, even Motoki, had a good look at the genius when he was young. "Wait, you! Everyone will get their turn!" She told everyone, but then felt her wrist grabbed and she turned around, seeing a fuming Mamoru, who swiped the photo from her other hand and dragged her away from the chaos-filled area despite her protesting shouts.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Say that you love me/Say that you care...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Hey! Where are you taking me?" Usagi staggered as Mamoru, who wouldn't let go of her wrist with his iron-hard grip, pulled her towards an empty park far away from their party area. "What do you want from me?" She demanded.

"You sure have your ways of getting revenge!" He shot, and she looked away angrily. "I don't care anymore!" She retorted at him, small tears forming in her eyes and starting to stream down her red cheeks. "I'm going to risk it all! The fact that I like you is being treated as a joke by everyone, and, even worse, you! So," She turned to face him, her eyes burning angry fire. "I'm going to stop liking you!"

"Is that so?" He asked angrily, and she nodded, her odangos bobbing up and down. "Are you sure that's possible, Odango?"

"Of course!" Usagi said, wiping her tears away. "I've seen your past and your whole personality, and I'm sick of it! Once I get to University, I'll find someone ten times better than you! No, a hundred thousand times better!"

Mamoru gritted his teeth. "Then, go and find that guy!" He yelled at her.

"OF COURSE I WILL-"

Usagi was cut off by Mamoru quickly planting his lips on hers, immediately silencing her. Her bright blue eyes which had breathed fire a few moments ago were now large with confusion, blinking many times as the genius continued to kiss her bright pink lips. Her heart started to hammer in the walls of her chest loudly, as if it were screaming to be let out immediately.

Mamoru's eyes were closed throughout the whole kiss, but now they opened and looked teasingly into the large, blinking cerulean eyes of the girl in front of him. He then leaned away from her and started to walk away from the shocked girl. He then turned around to face her and stuck out his tongue. "Try to forget me now, _Odango_!" He winked for half a second, and then walked away.

Usagi fell to her knees in the grass, gently touching her lips with her index finger. "_Did Mamoru...just kiss me...?_" She thought, gathering all her thoughts and all the moment that just happened and then fell into the grass, groaning. "I hate being in love!"

**A/N:**** Awww poor Usagi! ): But I'm pretty sure the rest of you readers really liked that, huh? I told ya some romance would come! ^_^ I never lie! (Except when I say that I didn't eat the pie that's suddenly gone(; )**

**Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! I hope that this one, even after I edited it twice, is error free! XD**

**Review please? (:**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**** Wow. Fail. In Chapter 5, I had Mamoru said "x√2" when I actually meant "x√3". *facepalm* What's wrong with my head lately?**

**Hello everyone! Thanks for subscribing/reviewing/favoriting! I (surprisingly) don't have any announcements, requests, apologies, or anything except for NEW CHARACTERS IN THIS CHAPTER! And I hope you enjoy this chapter! (: Sorry it's uploaded a bit later than when you expected...O.o**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS OR SAILOR MOON!**_

**Chapter 7**

Usagi's eyes fluttered open as her bunny alarm clock started to ring loudly, her bright blue eyes blinking in surprise. _"Again...Another dream that reminds me of Mamoru's kissing me a few weeks ago..."_ She thought, and slowly got up, stretching her arms and yawning. She then slowly raised her right arm up to her face and gently touched her lips with her hand. Immediately, a flashback played through her head.

_Mamoru gritted his teeth angrily at her. "Then, go and find that guy!" He yelled at her._

_ Usagi couldn't believe that he was implying that she couldn't find another guy to love. "OF COURSE I WILL-"_

_ Her words were immediately silenced and cut off as Mamoru quickly leaned in and kissed her. Her eyes widened and she felt her heart screaming, banging against the walls of her chest. and all she could think of was, "Why?"_

_ She suddenly noticed Mamoru's eyes open. His dark navy eyes. She had always adored those eyes. She wanted to stare at them forever, and see her reflection in them as they were so close. He then leaned away and started to walk away from her, hands in pockets. He turned sideways and stuck out his tongue. "Try to forget me now, Odango!" He winked for half a second, and then continued on his way. _

Usagi groaned as she fell back on her bed, starting to have a staring contest with the bright pink ceiling above her. It had been almost two weeks since Mamoru had kissed her, and he had acted no different than he had before. Not more lovey-dovey, not more caring, not more anything. He just remained the cold-hearted Mamoru that he always was. And she couldn't stop asking the same question over and over again in her head: "WHY?"

Why had he kissed her? Why hadn't he changed attitude-wise? And why, oh WHY, couldn't she stop thinking about him?

A soft knock came at the door. "Usagi-chan, are you awake? It's the first day at University!" The familiar chirpy voice came from the door, and Usagi's eyes widened as her head whipped back to the clock and realized what time it was: 7:30 A.M.

"I'M LATE!" She screamed, and was such in a rush to get out of her bed that she hadn't realized she had her feet tangled in the sheets and fell flat on her face as she tried to get out. "_Itai_..." She complained to herself and tried to untangle herself. "Coming, Auntie!" She exclaimed as she hopped out of her bedroom, not noticing the fact that half of her hair in odangos and half of it loose.

"I'm here!" She panted as she half-ran, half-tumbled down the stairs to make it in time for breakfast. Three pairs of eyes stared at the half-disheveled girl, who seemed as if she hadn't gone much sleep last night.

"Usagi, are you all right?" Kenji asked, concerned, and Usagi simply waved. "Yes, I'm fine! Just a bit ecstatic for University!"

"I'm surprised the _baka_ knows the meaning of 'ecstatic'." Shingo muttered as he ate his oatmeal, and Usagi glared at him. "_Ne, Onii-chan_?" The sandy-haired boy asked, looking up and elbowing his older brother, who was silently eating his omelet.

Usagi turned to him to see what his response was, but he continued to eat his omelet, pausing once to say, "Those sort of things don't concern me," and then get up to give his empty plate to his mom, who was entering the room and then get his bag and walk out the door.

There was an awkward silence, and then Saori quickly grabbed Usagi's bag and ushered her out of her seat and out the door, yelling, "Go, Usagi-chan! Go walk with Mamoru! Hurry! Yes, all your stuff is in your bag, now HURRY!"

Usagi ran out the door with half a piece of toast hanging from her mouth, running and trying to catch up with Mamoru, who was walking in the University's direction.

"Wait, Mamoru!" She wanted to call out to him, but felt as if it would be too awkward. She had tried a lot to get a chance to talk to him, but he kept ignoring her and now, it felt too easy and awkward. "I just can't do it..." She thought, looking down, watching her two feet walk on the sidewalk in a rhythmic pattern.

Suddenly, she heard a _PANG_ and started to feel her head hurt and her ears ringing. "_ITAIIII_!" Her voice rang out, and she rubbed the top of her head in a back and forth motion quickly. She looked up and noticed that she had run into a lamppost. She saw Mamoru stop for a moment, glance at her, and, for a brief moment, there was a small hope bubbling inside her that he would come over to her, bend down, take her hand and sweep her off her feet.

Instead, he just continued to walk away, which made Usagi even angrier. _"Urgh! If only he hadn't kissed me! By now, I would've been excited about looking for a new guy to like!" _She thought angrily and got up, dusted the dust off her butt, and continued to walk with a half-confident look on her face.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Don't worry, I'll be turning at the north of a city and becoming yours...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Usagi-chan, are you alright?" Makoto's concerned voice asked her dazed friend as she set her food on the table they were eating lunch at. "You've been quiet all day, and you were daydreaming during class." Ami cleared her throat, and Makoto quickly added, "Not that that's surprising, you know."

"Mamoru..." Was all Usagi could whisper before her three friends smacked their foreheads with their palms. Of course. She still hadn't forgotten about him. After four years- and starting on the fifth- of having a one-sided love, their bunny wasn't going to stop chasing after her love.

"Usagi-chan...you need to give up on him!" Ami said, and even Minako shook her head. "You saw how he treated you at the graduation party. It's not like he's gonna get any better! The chances are so unlikely!"

Usagi lifted her arm up and once again touched her lips with her index finger. "_A-Ano_...I have something to tell you guys..."

"What is it?" Minako asked kindly, resting her hand on her friend's shoulder. "You can tell us! C'mon!"

_"Should I tell them? What if they tell everyone? Mamoru would hate me even more- if that's even possible." _Usagi bit her lip and looked up at three pairs of eyes staring at her, all blinking with concern. "Mamoru kissed me."

There was a dead silence around their table. Her friends' eyes widened, and they stared at her in shock. Ami immediately rested her hand on her head. "Usagi-chan doesn't have a temperature..." She muttered to herself, and then started to feel her pulse on her wrist. "Are you feeling all right? I'm sure it was just a dream-"

"No! I swear, it wasn't a dream!" She turned to Makoto and Minako. "Remember when he dragged me away after I showed everyone his childhood picture?"

Minako and Makoto nodded, both chuckling as they remembered the scene.

"Yeah, well, he dragged me to a park and kissed me! Just because I said I was going to forget him!"

There was another long silence in their little group, and, all of a sudden, the three started to blink violently, as if Usagi was beginning to disappear right in front of their eyes. "W-Wow..." Was all they could manage to say.

After a few moments, Minako broke the silence. "Still, I think you should forget about him, Usagi-chan. My main reason stands a few feet behind you."

Usagi turned around and saw her Mamoru in all his perfectness, the way she loved him, and a third arm- wait, what? Mamoru had a third arm extended out of his right?

The blonde shook her head a few times to see whether her vision was driving her nuts or not, and then realized she wasn't hallucinating. Standing next to Mamoru in the lunch line was a girl their age, who about Minako's height with raven black hair that reached her waist and dark amethyst eyes that wouldn't stop sparkling with happiness as Mamoru spoke to her. Her arms were wrapped lovingly around his right arm and she seemed to be having an intelligent conversation with him. Usagi's jaw dropped as she gaped at the girl who giggled girlishly everytime Mamoru said something to her, but also seemed to have a mature personality.

"W-Who is..." She trailed off, not wanting to even know who that woman was and what she was doing with _her_ Mamoru. Wait, did she just say Mamoru was _hers? _Oh God.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Starting from the beginning/Always must be happy, not sad...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi groaned as she flopped on to her bed. Today had sucked. Just sucked. There was one good thing, which was joining the tennis club along with Mamoru and Rei ("Ms. Clingy"). But other than that, terrible events had happened today- she found out who Rei was and she joined the tennis club.

The odango-ed teenager groaned once again as she rolled over on her bed and remembered how she had learnt who Rei was and how she had joined the tennis club.

_Usagi walked in the hallways alone silently as she tried to remember her way home. Her friends had joined different after-school clubs, surprisingly today, which was the first day, and she had to either find one herself or walk home alone. She chose the second option. _

_ "Who was that girl...?" She muttered under her breath, "Why was she clinging on to Mamoru? I really hope she doesn't like him! Or worse...what if Mamoru likes her back?"_

_ Usagi's talking to herself was interrupted as she bumped into a flash of red and black. She fell back, screaming as she and the other person went flying in opposite directions. She rubbed her head quickly. "Itai..." She mumbled, and then quickly remembered there was another person who got hurt. "GOMENASAI!" She half-screamed at the girl, who looked up, her purple eyes throwing daggers. "Watch it, odango!" She retorted, and Usagi immediately recognized her. She was the girl who was with Mamoru earlier!_

_ "G-Gomen!" Usagi apologized again, trying to help the girl pick up her stuff, but she insisted on getting her stuff by herself. _

_ A third pair of hands appeared out of nowhere, helping the girl with her stuff. "Are you all right, Rei?" The smooth voice asked, and Rei's angry face immediately melted into a sultry look. "Yes, Mamoru-kun!" Her voice rang, and quickly jumped up, fluffing her hair and dusting the dust off of her dark red outfit. "I'm fine!"_

_ " 'M-Mamoru-kun'?" Usagi asked, her jaw dropping. Rei's eyebrow raised in confusion. "Is this girl your girlfriend?" She asked, and Mamoru shook his head. "Of course not." He replied normally, and Usagi's jaw dropped even further._

" ' Of course not'? WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND?"_ Her mind demanded. "_THEN WHY'D YOU STEAL MY FIRST KISS?"

_Rei's red lips formed a smirk. "I thought so." She simply said, her amethyst eyes glaring nastily and triumphantly at Usagi, who blinked in confusion. _"Is she making fun of me?" _She wondered angrily. _

_ "Ne, Mamoru-kun!" Rei's voice rung out to the guy next to her, nudging him playfully. "Wanna go to the café with me and try out their new coffee?" _

_ "No, thanks," Mamoru said simply and started to put his hands in his pockets. "I think I'll be going home now." He said, and started to walk away from the two._

_ Usagi now looked at Rei triumphantly, who frowned at the blonde and seemed to be firing bolts of fire at who she thought was extremely low and no match for her. She would obviously win her Mamoru-kun's heart._

_ Rei gave a little, "hm!" as she flicked her beautiful hair over her shoulder and walked away from Usagi, who gawked at her selfishness. _

Usagi banged her hand against her desk. "What the hell is up with that woman?" She asked herself in a demanding tone, not being surprised when she got no answer.

Then she remembered that, later, she found the two talking to some senior with short blonde wavy hair and the color of indigo dyed-eyes, who saw her and insisted that she join the tennis club. Of course, she couldn't say no, and now she was an official member of the tennis club. She didn't even know how to play tennis, and this would give Mamoru a reason to see how even more clumsy she was and pick that "Rei" girl instead of her! As if her life couldn't get any worse.

She got up and walked out of her room into the hallway, where Mamoru had just gotten out of the shower, wearing his dark blue pajamas and holding a light blue towel. "Oi, the shower's free." He said, and she nodded, about to go back into her room to get her stuff when she realized she had wanted to ask him something. "_Ano_..."

"What is it?"

"About that girl...in the hallway today..."

"Ah, Hino Rei?" He asked, a small smile forming onto his lips. He knew Usagi would think that he liked Rei since he smiled after saying her name, but the truth was, he wanted to see how jealous she would get after hearing her "declaration of not loving Mamoru anymore".

As he expected, she turned around and stared at him in disbelief and shock mixed together. "Y-You already have her full name memorized?" She asked, and he shook his head. "Once I hear something, I memorize it, remember?"

Usagi slowly nodded, suddenly remembering their senior year when he tutored her. She shook her head, trying to get back to reality, and looked down, biting her lip. "How are you and Hino-san...?" She didn't want to finish that sentence, scared of the answer she'd get.

Mamoru smiled teasingly. "My, my. Is Odango jealous? I thought you said you weren't going to love me anymore?"

"N-No, I'm not jealous! And my name is not Odango!" She snapped, and looked away. "I'm just wondering how the two of you are..." She didn't finish her sentence again.

He looked away, too, his expression still teasing. "Well, I have every reason to like her, don't I?" He asked, and Usagi's teeth sunk lower into her lip. Was he teasing her or actually speaking reality? "I mean, she is pretty."

A large rock fell on Usagi's head with the words "BEAUTIFUL" engraved deeply on it. "N-No..." She whispered, and he went on. "And she seems rather intelligent and mature, too."

Three rocks fell on top of Usagi's shoulders, all with the words "INTELLIGENCE" sunken into them.

"She told me she made 5th in the National Mock Exam, too."

Another rock, more than ten times the size of all the other rocks put together fell on top of Usagi, the words "RANKED 5TH NATIONALLY" engraved and sinking into Usagi's mind. "N-No way..." She mumbled, upset. "Then why is she going to OUR school?" She demanded, wondering how someone so smart was going to such a low university. Then again, Mamoru was ranked 1st nationally and here he was because of her. She didn't feel like re-visiting that thought, though, after all the rumors had eaten her alive.

"Who knows?" Mamoru asked, shrugging his shoulders. He then looked at her, his eyes teasing. "But that's odd. Didn't you say you were going to forget me? You joined the tennis club, it seems, for me only."

Usagi looked up in shock, blinking furiously and blushing like mad. "Y-Yes, but-I mean, n-no, well-"

"Oh, it's because we kissed, isn't it?" He asked, and her face turned completely burning red. _"Kiss?"_ She wondered, the word echoing throughout her mind endlessly.

Mamoru started to walk towards the red-faced blonde and bent over to be so close to her that her blue eyes were starting sparke with hope that he would kiss her once more, just once more, so that her soul could confirm the fact that her feelings for him were indeed returned.

Usagi's heart hammered. _"Is this going to be our second kiss?"_ She wondered, and closed her eyes as she slightly pushed her lips forward. Surprisingly, though, she heard chuckling. She opened her eyes and saw Mamoru laughing hard as he was walking back into the room him and Shingo shared. "UGH, that Mamoru!" She thought angrily as she stomped her foot. "He was just teasing me! He doesn't even care that we've kissed before! UGHHH!" She stormed off to her room, completely forgetting about taking her shower.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~No lies, but promises...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Three days later, Usagi stared at her nose, cross-eyed, as she started to sniffle in pain. Minako, Makoto and Ami stared at her nose in shock. "W-What happened, Usagi-chan?" Ami asked, her blue eyes wide with concern as they stared at her friend's heavily bandaged nose.

"T-That Jadeite-sempai!" She wailed, rubbing her eyes as constant tears flowed out.

"Who?"

"The leader of the tennis club!" She replied, trying to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes without touching her nose. "At our first meeting, he made all the freshmen play against him. I thought it'd be easy because Mamoru was so good and he made it look so easy..." Her eyes started to wander off into dreamland. "And, I hate to admit it, but that Rei girl, too, was extremely good."

"Oh, the female version of Mamoru." Minako commented, and Makoto giggled. Usagi rolled her eyes and went on. "And then it was my turn. And...well...he changes from a sweet man to a freaky monster once he touches a tennis racket!" She pointed at her nose. "You can see how well that turned out! And if things couldn't get any worse, we have tennis training camp starting a week from tomorrow, and he challenged Mamoru to a competition at the end of the camp! If he wins, then he owes Mamoru a favor and he can't say no, but if Sempai wins, then Mamoru has to run around the whole school for ten minutes in girl clothing!"

The three girls tried to contain their laughter as they imagined the national genius prancing around the school in a ballerina skirt. "S-So what's the problem i-in that, Usagi-chan?" Ami asked, trying very hard not to show her amusement but obviously failing as her cheeks started to redden from her containing her laughter.

"Yeah, isn't he a bit better than Sempai?" Makoto asked, smiling as she tried very hard to prevent Minako from bursting into laughter by clamping her hand over her mouth.

"You don't understand. It's a duo competition. Jadeite-sempai's partner is Rei-san. And Mamoru's partner is..." She looked down, her face red.

"No way..." Mako whispered, and Minako smacked her head. "What was sempai THINKING when he chose you?" She demanded, and Usagi looked up. "What's that supposed to mean, Minako-chan?" She muttered as she sweatdropped. Minako giggled, waving her hand. "Oh, you know I didn't mean it that way!"

"Right..." Usagi sighed and went on. "Anyways, sempai says that if I can at least score _once_, then Mamoru'll win. But if not..." She trailed off as the girls laughed again. "Oh, Usagi-chan. I can't wait to see what happens."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Because their love is definitely not lazy...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Mamoru had been trying to train her after school, but she just couldn't do it. It had given her the same feeling as she had felt when he was tutoring her- she felt helpless as if she couldn't understand that well at first, but this time, she actually couldn't do it.

Usagi sighed as she walked into the restaurant her father owned and sat down at a chair, setting her bag on the table. "Papa?" She asked, and her father came out behind the curtain between the kitchen and the seating area. "Usa!" His eyes brightened, and he held up his index finger. "Just a moment, I'll be right there!"

Usagi nodded as she looked around and saw the employees rushing around to fix the place so that they could leave as soon as their boss would let them.

Finally, after mostly everyone had left, Kenji came out of the kitchen, wiping the sweat off of his forehead and blowing air on his glasses in attempts to make the fog go away. "Ahhh..." He smiled as he sat down in the seat across Usagi's, and reached into his pocket, taking out a flyer and setting it down on the table for his daughter to see. "Usa...you know how I've been recently telling you that we need to move out of the Chiba household as soon as we can, right?" He asked, and knives slashed Usagi's heart. She remembered how much he had reminded her that they had to stop living in Uncle Koba's house and try to get back on their feet and that they couldn't take advantage of his kindness forever, but Usagi just wanted to ignore that. She wanted to be with Auntie Saori, who acted like the mother she never had, Uncle Koba, who was like a second father to her at times, and even Shingo, whom, even though he acted really annoying at times and constantly bickered with her, she was sure of having a kind heart. And also Mamoru...she wanted to stay with him forever.

"Yes." Usagi simply said, and looked down at the flyer, which had a large photograph of a beautiful house. "It's not as big as the Chiba household," Kenji explained as she read the flyer. "But it's big enough for the two of us and a few guests. The price isn't half bad, and it's close to your school so you won't have to worry about transportation. Don't you think you'd like it?"

Usagi nodded, smiling at her father. "It sounds lovely, Papa." She responded, and she and her father embraced. _"But...it'll feel so empty..."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Even if unstable causes appear, then...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_ "Tomorrow is the last day at tennis camp, Auntie!" _Usagi scribbled on the letter, trying to hurry up so she could get to dinner. "_So far, I've been REALLY tired after practicing with Mamoru every night. After spending the whole day picking up the tennis balls (Jadeite-sempai says I need to pick up tennis balls that are bounced off the court before I get ahold of a racket for real matches, even in camp), I have to eat dinner quickly and practice with Mamoru, which is sometimes like a living hell because he hits the balls so quickly! _

_Tomorrow is the last day, so the competition is tomorrow. I'm so scared! Also, everyone thinks I'm such a big fail because I ended up confessing that the delicious food that I 'cook' for the whole team for dinner every night is actually Mamoru's doing...he's been helping me cook as well, since I'm the cook and my cooking skills aren't that good right now. Isn't that nice?_

_I've been missing you a lot ever since we left your house. How are things doing? How's Uncle Koba's company and Shingo's studies? How are you? _

_I guess you shouldn't reply to this since we're leaving tomorrow night, but I hope you are doing well! _

_Love always,_

_Usagi _

Right as Usagi put her letter in the envelope and started to write the Chiba household's address on it, Rei barged in, wearing a fancy red top and blue jeans with casablanca flowers decorating the sides, her hair loosely tied in a ponytail by a red bow. If one squinted, they could see a faint amount of bright red eyeshadow highlighting Rei's eyelids and small strokes of eyeliner to define her eyes. Usagi looked up at her in confusion, ataken back by how she was dressed so fancily. "R-Rei-san?"

"Hurry up, dinner's ready. This time it was cooked by someone other than Mamoru-kun, but it's edible." Her eyes shifted over to the envelope in which Usagi's letter to Auntie Saori was nestled in, and she rolled her eyes. "Don't bother, _Odango Atama_! I'm confessing to him, tonight, too, and I'm sure we both know who the real winner will be."

Usagi looked down at her envelope and realized she had only written "Chiba" on it. "Oh, you don't understand," She said, waving her hands. "It's not a letter to him, it's a letter to his mo-"

"Save your breath," Rei smirked at the blonde. "I'm sure you'll need it once you'll be breathtaken, like the others, by the new, perfect couple at school: Mamoru-kun and I." And with that, she walked out of the room.

And Rei hadn't lied about her confession. When Usagi was almost done finishing her chicken stew, she realized Rei had tapped on Mamoru's shoulder-as if the two weren't already too close, sitting next to each other- and whispered something in his ear. Looking at her hopeful, gleaming eyes, he nodded and got up, starting to walk out of the door with her.

Usagi felt as if her heart was yelling at her to fight back and she and Jadeite immediately got up. "S-Sempai?"

Jadeite bit his lip. "Uh, I just need to get out and get some fresh air, Tsukino-san." He said simply, and walked out. "Me too!" Usagi called out, and ran out the door.

Once Usagi got outside, she hid behind a few bushes and heard a girl's voice. She started to follow its' sound and walked towards the abandoned park near the tennis court. There, she saw a familiar figure watching her Mamoru and Rei together...Sempai?

"Sempai?" She whispered fiercely, and the figure jumped. "T-Tsukino-san!" Jadeite wiped the sweat off his forehead, and she stared at him. "What are you doing here?" The two blondes asked each other at the same time.

Jadeite scratched her head and then looked down as Usagi gasped. "Don't tell me...you love Rei-san?"

Jadeite bit his lip even harder than before and slowly nodded his head. "Y-Yes..."

Usagi's eyes widened in shock as she looked at the blonde in front of her and the two black-haired people talking in front of them.

"The moon sure is beautiful." Rei said, her amethyst eyes gleaming at the large, sparkling silver circle in front of them and Mamoru agreed with a simple, "Mhm."

Rei turned around and now looked at Mamoru. "Mamoru-kun," She began, hoping her well-rehearsed speech would reach his famous cold heart. "Ever since I heard of your being ranked 1st nationally and your extremely good looks throughout middle school and high school, I've always wanted to meet you. I applied for Tokyo University, too, but when I realized you got out, so did I. And I'm happy I did." She tried to rest her hand lovingly on Mamoru's chest, but he turned away to look at the moon, now.

"This can't happen!" Usagi, who was now sitting on the right of Jadeite, whispered fiercely, and Jadeite nodded. "We can't let this happen!" Jadeite agreed as Usagi started to brush the leaves off her lap, and was about to get up to stop Rei's confession when Jadeite grabbed her arm. "_Baka,_ don't get up! We'll find another way to stop them!" He hissed, but Usagi didn't listen.

Rei opened her mouth, ready to say the magic words. "Mamoru-kun, I love-"

"_Baka!_" Jadeite hissed again, but as he yanked Usagi, whose foot was also trapped under a vine, down, his force was too strong that she screamed and fell on top of him in the grass, both of them blushing like mad.

"What are you doing?" Mamoru's voice asked, and the two of them looked up to see Mamoru's expressionless face looking down at them, and Rei's half-angry, half-shocked expression behind him. Usagi looked down and noticed that, since it was so hot, she and Jadeite were a bit sweaty, and their faces were red from accidentally interrupting Rei and Mamoru's little conversation. Then one and one clicked in Usagi's brain and she scrambled on her feet off of Jadeite, screaming. "WAAAHHH! IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"

**A/N:**** YAY, CLIFFY! XD Oh, poor Usagi-chan ): and it looks like she got some competition, too! Why, oh why, do I make my characters suffer? (; **

**The reason I chose Rei is that, even though our Ami-chan is WAYYYY more mature and smart than Rei is, she didn't seem like the kind of person who would look as a romantic rival for Usagi, and she never even showed any romantic interest in Mamoru. Rei, on the other hand, **_**had **_**shown romantic interest in our little heartbreaker, and seemed to more likely have the "cruel-towards-main-girl" Matsumoto/Zi Yu personality than our sweet Ami-chan(: **

**Also, I know we haven't seen Jadeite's "good side" in the anime, but he sort of seemed like the character that would have a sweet personality, except when it came to a certain sport or passion. In that case, he would've become a fiery scary person. Plus, Yuichiro, who was another Rei admirer, didn't seem that good for the part. Jadeite also seems like a good partner for Usagi...you'll find out why in the next chapter [; And if you've ever watched the live version of Sailor Moon ("PGSM"), then Jadeite seemed to be like a very cute character in the wedding special when he jumps up and down, yelling "YATTA~"! :3**

**OHMYGOSH, BY THE WAY! Usagi's birthday is in two days! (Today's the 28th, right?) Otanjobi omedeto, Usagi-chan! (: **

**Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! ^_^**

**Review please? Reviewers don't get hit by Jadeite-sempai's super-fast-tennis balls! [;**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**** mangamania: You weren't one of the people that was pissing me off for their "wanting the story to hurry up", so don't worry (: Thanks for liking my story, btws! :D **

**Thanks to all who favorited/subscribed/reviewed! And EEPA! 50 REVIEWS AND 64 SUBSCRIPTIONS IN 7 CHAPTERS? You guys are so kind to me...~dramatic sob~ YOU ALL ROCK! 3**

**Other than that, no announcements or anything else...you guys happy with Usagi's brand new competition? (; Heehee, I'm pretty sure you guys'll LOVE this chapter! I had soooooo much fun writing it! Plus, you guys will find out what I meant in the previous chapter by Jadeite looking like a good partner for our Usagi ^_^**

**Enjoy! :D**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS OR SAILOR MOON!**_

**Chapter 8**

"What are you two doing?" Mamoru asked coolly, and the two blondes started to stammer as a result of their failed attempts to explain what was really going on.

"M-Mamoru!" Usagi squeaked, trying her best to scramble off of Jadeite, but the grass was slippery due to the starting sprinklers, and she slipped in her attempts to get off. "I-It's not what it l-looks like!" She tried to explain, but Mamoru's face hardened as he grabbed her wrist. "Excuse me, Sempai," He addressed Jadeite, who was gesturing her away from him, showing that he, in fact, wanted Mamoru to take Usagi away from him, "But I'm going to have to borrow her. Come on," He growled, now turning to her. "We have more training to do!" And he started to drag her away from the scene.

"Mamoru-kun!" Rei called out, but Mamoru didn't look back, and she angrily stomped her foot. "Damn it!" She yelled angrily, and Jadeite slightly chuckled as his face blushed lightly. "Uh, Rei, we should go back to training, too!"

"I don't want to!" She growled as she stormed off back to the building, leaving poor Jadeite alone. "But..."

Meanwhile, Usagi was at the tennis court, practicing with Mamoru. "M-Mamoru, is there any reason you're serving the balls SO DAMN FAST?" She demanded when he paused for a brief moment, and he shook his head. "_Baka Odango,_ that's the _point_ of the game! You're supposed to hit the ball fast onto your opponent's side so that they can't hit it!"

Usagi huffed and wondered why he couldn't hit the balls a bit _slower_, because she couldn't hit any of them, and they were hitting her really hard. _"It's not my fault I extremely suck at sports!"_ She thought. _"Except for pie eating contests or-"_

"_ODANGO_, PAY ATTENTION!" Mamoru's angry voice broke out her thoughts. "WELL EXCUSE ME FOR-" Usagi's excuse was cut off when a bright green tennis ball hit her square in the face, squishing her nose.

"_Itai_..." She half-whispered as she fell on the ground, her nose red as the ball rolled off her face.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~She can still overcome all obstacles together with him...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_"It's time for the tournament...but my foot..." _Usagi worried as she looked at her right foot, which was swollen and in much pain. "I must've sprained it during practice last night!" She groaned and tried to walk on it, ending up in her screaming and falling flat on the floor. "_Itai_!" She wailed, clutching her foot and wondering how none of the others hadn't hurt themselves. "It's not fair!" She pouted and looked at herself in the mirror. "_I look pathetic,_" She thought sadly, poking at the small bandages and tiny burns on her face from falling on the tennis court too much. _"I thought that joining the tennis club would make me closer to Mamoru, but..."_ She looked down, staring at her swollen foot. _"He'll probably hate me even more when I let him down today, and even fall in love with Rei..." _Images of the two embracing each other lovingly and walking away from Usagi entered her mind and her eyes widened.

"NO!" She told herself, furiously wiping the tears away from her face. "I will NOT give up! I WILL have Mamoru win today, injured or not!"

She opened the dresser drawer, whipped out a few bandages and socks, and got straight to work.

Fifteen minutes later, Usagi was limping towards Mamoru on the tennis court, a slightly-pained smile etched on her face as he watched her stumble over to him. He looked down at her right foot, which was covered in at least three layers of socks. "What is that?" He asked, pointing at her foot, and she looked down. "Oh, it's a tradition of my ancestors!" She lied, hoping it would convince him. "Whenever we have a big ceremony or test coming up, we put many layers of clothing around our right foot!"

Mamoru raised an eyebrow, not remembering her wearing many socks on the day of her midterm or final back in senior year at high school, but finally decided to shrug it off. He was better off not knowing.

Usagi let out a sigh of relief as Mamoru started to walk to his position on the court and a whistle rung out as Rei and Jadeite took their spots as well. Usagi rushed over to her spot and stood there, tightly clutching the pink tennis racket in her hands. She would win this, she was sure of it. She wouldn't let her Mamoru down. "Mamoru, let's do our best!" She said to him, and he nodded.

"Hehehe..." Jadeite's voice chuckled maniacally from the other side of the court as his eyes gleamed fire. "I can't wait to see how Tsukino-san's ability to actually play has improved!"

"Cut the talk, Sempai," Mamoru responded. "Let's just play."

Jadeite's face reddened and he gritted his teeth angrily. "FINE! I'll serve, then!" He growled, and turned around, staring at the cringing freshmen behind him. "SOMEONE GIVE ME A TENNIS BALL!" He demanded, and the freshmen scurried around like little mice, each of them trying to find a ball before their club leader could get any more pissed.

Mamoru walked over to Usagi. "Listen. Don't let all that we worked on go to waste. I'm not going to try to hit _all_ the balls this time. If any of them are headed for you, try and hit it. Keep your eyes open and on the ball. Got it?"

Usagi nodded frantically. "Yes, sir!" She nodded, and Mamoru hesitated for a moment as if he were going to say something more, and then whispered to her as he brushed past her, "Don't be alone or scared. I'm here with you."

Usagi's cheeks turned bright pink and she nodded even more energetically. "Yes, Mamoru!"

He walked back to his spot. "All right, Sempai. Serve!"

Jadeite grabbed the ball from a quivering freshman before yelling at him to get off the court. "Get ready to run around in girls' clothing, Chiba!" He called out, threw the ball up in the air, and hit it with his racket furiously.

Mamoru hit the ball back with his racket as it bounced towards him, and Rei hit the ball back, yelling nastily, "Come and get it, Tsukino-san!" as she did.

Usagi blinked a few times and stared at the ball. There was something much more different here than it was during practice. The ball...it seemed much slower!

She raised her arms and threw the racket with much force towards the ball, but she missed and stomped her foot. "Ugh, I thought I had it!" She huffed, and Jadeite laughed nastily. "I knew it! I can hear the shutters of the cameras as they see you prancing around already, Chiba!"

Mamoru grabbed the ball and hit it towards Jadeite and Rei, who immediately served it back towards Usagi. _"I can see it more clearly this time!"_ She thought, and hit the ball. It bounced out towards the "out" zone, though, and everyone except Mamoru stared.

"Hit it towards their 'in' zone, _odango_!" Mamoru told her, and she nodded. "_Hai!_" However, everyone else continued to gawk.

"S-She...She HIT IT?" Jadeite demanded angrily, his blue eyes blazing. He pointed his index finger at Usagi accusingly. "GET READY, TSUKINO! YOU'RE THE TARGET NOW!" He declared and Usagi let out a tiny squeak, scared.

However, the next few balls hit towards Usagi were hit back towards the 'out' zone of Jadeite and Rei's side of the court, making her receive much more stares than usual.

"Damn it!" Jadeite cursed, jumping up and down angrily as his red face exhibited steam out of his ears. "That little brat is hitting back all of my fast balls!"

"But none of them are actually making it to the 'in' zone," Rei told him, also stunned by Usagi's improved performance.

"You don't get it...it's a matter of my PRIDE!" Jadeite retorted, and Rei rolled her eyes, annoyed. "They haven't scored one point yet, and we're at the match point. If she hits the ball one more time towards our 'out' zone, then we win. However if she hits the ball this time towards the 'in' zone...then they'll win..." Her voice started to low down into a mutter.

"All right, Tsukino!" Jadeite growled. "It's your last chance to make things right!" He started to laugh maniacally. "But you can't do it!" He served the ball towards Mamoru, who hit it back as Usagi's mind began to understand. _"I understand why I can see the ball now!"_ She exclaimed in her mind. _"None of their hits are as fast as Mamoru's!"_

"TAKE THIS!" Jadeite yelled as he hit the ball towards Usagi, who was ready for it. Ignoring her foot's screaming pain, she ran towards the ball, swung her racket with all her might and hit the ball hard right before she fell down on the pavement.

Fifteen pairs of wide eyes watched as the bright green ball started to fall down and hit the 'in' zone of Jadeite and Rei's side before they could even hit it.

There was complete silence for half a second, and then a loud uproar engulfed the area, everyone chanting Usagi and Mamoru's name loudly and happily. Jadeite stared with wide eyes as the ball sat there in the 'in' zone of their court, and started to wail as Rei shook her head, both embarrassed by her partner's behavior and upset at their defeat.

"_Y-Yes!" _Usagi thought, feeling her foot throbbing with extreme pain now. _"I can die happily, now!" _She tried to get up, but bit her lip hard to prevent a scream from escaping from her lips as her right foot sent a shock of pain up her leg.

Mamoru smiled slightly at Usagi's victory and turned around. "You did it, _odan-_" He noticed her clutching her heavily-socked foot and ran to her. "What's wrong?" He asked, and Usagi shook her head. "N-Nothing!"

"Sempai," Mamoru called out to the sobbing senior. "We're done. Usagi has hurt herself."

Usagi shook her head, shocked at his words. "N-No! Let's continue playing so that you can win!"

Mamoru had to stop himself from chuckling at this girl's devotedness but how unobservant she was. "We already won. The deal was that if you could hit a ball back in the 'in' zone before the game is over, we would win."

Usagi's heart fluttered at the way Mamoru had said "we" and not "I". She took a deep breath as Mamoru, without asking, took off her shoe and the many layers of socks, which revealed a red, throbbing, heavily bandaged foot. "How did this happen?"

"During practice last night, I sprained my ankle and hurt it."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to prance around the school in girl's clothing!"

Mamoru shook his head. "_Baka_. Can you get up?" He asked, and Usagi shook her head, her ponytails now cascading around her face after becoming loose from the bobby pins that were holding them out of her face during the match. He sighed and wrapped one arm underneath her knees and the other around her back. Usagi felt her heart start to hammer as her cheeks reddened.

He got up as Usagi slowly fixed her arms around her neck and the two walked out as many pairs of large eyes watched them exit the court along with their things.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~First, they overcome the long winter...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi felt as if the day hadn't had gone as well as she wanted it to. It had started off wonderfully with her winning the tennis match, but when Mamoru helped her limp (he stopped carrying her two minutes after they left the tennis court, much to her disappointment) to the home where her father and her were staying at, there was a real estate agent and another man looking at the house.

After she screamed that there were burglars in her home (yet no one in the neighborhood seemed to care...), the real estate agent explained that Mr. Tsukino had sold the house back to him and left. And if things weren't any worse, her father wasn't answering her calls to the phone at his restaurant.

Usagi angrily pushed the "end" button on her small cellphone after her seventh attempt to call her father had once again taken her to the restaurant's voicemail. "Voicemail again," She muttered under her breath, and Mamoru smirked. "What now, homeless child?" He asked.

The words stabbed Usagi hard and the only words she managed to speak were, "...H-Homeless child...?"

Mamoru shook his head. "Never mind. Come on, let's go."

"Where?" Usagi turned to him, blinking furiously, her eyes large with confusion.

"My house. My mom will chop me up into her sushi if she finds out that I left you all alone on the streets." He said as he picked up their bags again and crouched down, gesturing to his shoulders. "Get on. I'll carry you again."

Usagi hesitated for a moment and then reluctantly climbed onto his shoulders. He got up and started to walk towards their neighborhood. Usagi felt as if they should've spoken, but she had nothing to talk about. "A-Ano...Rei-san confessed her feelings for you, didn't she?" She looked away from his face. "H-How are you going to respond?"

Mamoru continued to look forward down the road. "That's none of your business," He simply responded. "Though I could wonder the same thing about _you_."

"M-Me?" Usagi stammered, wondering what on Earth he was talking about as she turned to face him. "What do you mean?" She demanded.

"You and Jadeite-sempai seem to be having a pretty good time together." Mamoru stated, and Usagi started to shake her head back and forth quickly, her face extremely red. "N-No, you've got it all wrong!" She stuttered. "Sempai and I have n-nothing! What you saw last night was-"

Mamoru suddenly dropped Usagi and she fell on her butt onto the sidewalk. "_Itai_!" She squeaked, "Mamoru-baka, what was that for?" She demanded, but his navy eyes were busy focusing on the news in front of them. She stared at him for a moment, looked in the direction he was, and then felt shock engulf her as well.

They had reached Mamoru's house, but there was a bright red banner decorated above the gate, the words "CHIBAS AND TSUKINOS LIVING TOGETHER AGAIN!" written in what seemed like a gold glitter pen with little hearts surrounding it. Shingo, along with Mamoru's mom, was by the gate, giving away free sweets against his will to the neighbors, his expression extremely upset and the complete and total opposite of his mothers, who was screaming into a megaphone, "THE CHIBAS AND TSUKINOS ARE NOW LIVING HAPPILY TOGETHER AGAIN! EVERYONE COME AND GET FREE SWEETS!"

Usagi and Mamoru stared in both horror and shock at the scene in front of them, and Saori eventually found out they were there. "_Aiya_, you guys are home early!" She smiled, and rushed to them as Shingo threw the plate of sweets away and ran to Mamoru, clinging his feet tightly. "_Onii-chan_, I tried to stop her, but then she told me. Don't tell me it's true!"

"What's true? What's wrong, Shingo?" Mamoru asked, but Saori waltzed by them, squealing over how cute they looked together. "As expected from a perfect couple!" She exclaimed happily, and clasped her hands together.

Usagi turned red as a tomato while Mamoru smacked his forehead with his palm. "WE'RE NOT TOGETHER!" He yelled, and Saori glared. "Why, of course you are!"

"No, we're not!" He groaned as he shook his head. "Why do I have to be stuck with her on the whim of my parents?"

"_Aiya_, you can't blame this on me!" Saori's turquoise eyes gleamed at Mamoru. "I mean, _you're_ the one who kissed Usagi-chan!"

There was a dead silence and Mamoru and Usagi's jaws dropped. Saori squealed with happiness as the two stared at her, and she giggled as she remembered Usagi's friends telling her when they stopped by to drop off her forgotten notebook three days ago, and how surprised they were how, despite the fact that the two had kissed, Usagi was living in another house from Mamoru. She was so happy when she found out that her eldest had kissed the girl she wanted him to end up with. Mamoru then turned to glare at Usagi, his eyes filled with fire, and despite her saying that she hadn't told his mother, he simply wouldn't listen.

"Onii-chan...you really didn't kiss this...this..._pig_, did you?" Shingo asked, his eyes large with worry, and Saori lightly slapped him on the back. "Shingo! That's no way to speak of your future sister-in-law!"

Usagi's face reddened even further and Mamoru sweatdropped, really angry at how crazy his mother was acting, and how she was already talking about making a baby room for their house.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~After the long winter, they overcome the spring breezes...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Oi, oi, Dad!" Seiya started to nudge the annoyed Kenji next to him, who was about to explode after Seiya's continuous calling him "Dad". "Why didn't you want me to come into the restaurant today?"

"Quit pestering me, Seiya!" Kenji ordered, "I told you not to come to the restaurant today!"

"I know, but why?"

_"Because if you see Usagi with Mamoru and hear about their kiss, you'll be heartbroken!"_ Kenji thought, but continued to stir the bubbling stew in the pot in front of him.

Seiya, who wasn't used to being ignored, was about to ask again once he heard a bell ringing. "What? We have customers today?" He asked, and then heard the voice. The voice that was the reason as to why he was working so hard to become a chef announce that she had arrived.

"MY USAGI!" He exclaimed, and ran to the door where his love was standing. He flung his arms open, ready to take her into his embrace- until he saw _him_ appear behind her.

Him. The reason he couldn't take his beloved in a split second. The reason why his beloved didn't love him. But he ignored him.

"You came home back from camp! Are you okay? Did Chiba hurt you in anyway? Did he peep at you while you were in the shower?"

Mamoru glared at the over-protective freak as Usagi hit him gently on the head. "Of course not, Seiya!" She growled, but he didn't hear her. All he saw was her heavily bandaged leg and his jaw dropped. "Your leg! Usagi, what happened to your leg?" He turned to Mamoru. "I bet it was Chiba!" He ran over to him, angry. "Chiba, what did you do to my Usagi? Did you hurt her? Do you like hurting helpless girls, you freak?"

"Say that again if you dare, Kou." Mamoru challenged, and followed his family to the table they were sitting at.

"Wait...what're they doing here?" Seiya demanded, pointing at the Chiba family, confused. "Oh! Are you guys celebrating you two's return from camp?"

"No, no!" Saori smiled, waving her index finger from left to right. "Today we're celebrating both families living together again!" She exclaimed happily, and Seiya stared. "W-WHAT? B-But Usagi and Dad just moved out! She was about to give up on Chiba and-"

"But they kissed, Seiya-kun!"

Both families were quiet as Seiya's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"Yup!" Saori smiled, her bright turquoise eyes gleaming with excitement. "The two of them kissed! Isn't that-"

"CHIBA!" Seiya screamed, and Usagi cringed. He started to run towards Mamoru, but Kenji held him down before he could do anything dangerous. "HOW DARE YOU TAKE USAGI'S FIRST KISS? HER FIRST KISS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE _MINE!_ YOU STOLE HER!"  
Mamoru turned around, his facial expression suddenly teasing. "You truly should've seen her, Kou. The way her bright blue eyes were surprised, the way her bright pink lips ushered forward and the way her head tilted forward- she was so cute."

Saori squealed in happiness as she started to jump in her seat. "_Kawaii_!" She squeaked, and Seiya's jaw dropped in shock as he sulked into a chair sadly. "NOOOOOOOOOO MY USAGI!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The spring breeze blows into his heart...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Do we _have_ to do this?" Usagi demanded, and Jadeite nodded. "If Chiba and my Rei see us together, they'll get jealous! And that means that each of us will win heart of our love!"

Usagi sweatdropped at her Sempai's ridiculous plan. "Are you sure?" She asked, and he nodded. It sounded like a ridiculous plan, but it was worth a shot, wasn't it?

The two were standing near the gate of the University, where Jadeite had spotted Rei and Mamoru walking towards their direction, and had wanted to make the girl he loved jealous in hopes of catching her heart. And the only way he could've done that was if he persuaded Usagi that she would be benefited from it as well.

"Here they come! Remember to act lovingly!" Jadeite whispered, and Usagi winced as he put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to the corner of the stairs near the gate.

"Oh, my Usa-Usa!" Jadeite said loudly, and Usagi angrily wished he wouldn't speak so loud that people within twenty feet could hear, and that he wouldn't call her that ridiculous nickname. "_A-Ano,_ Jadeite-sempai-"

"Why of course I love you!" He continued to speak loudly, making her want to punch him for his loud voice. _"Are couples really THIS loud and close to each other here at University?"_ Her mind demanded, and began to wonder if Mamoru or Rei were watching them. Her back was to them, so Jadeite was the only one of the pair who was able to see them. "Are they looking at us?" She whispered, and she wasn't sure if what his response was a nod or just him whipping his hair out of his eyes.

"Just think! Once those two are jealous of how good we look, then they'll come running back into our arms!" Jadeite whispered into her ears, his arms tightening around her waist as he continued to remind her to act lovingly, making her feel uncomfortable. Nonetheless, she started to giggle at the thought of how Mamoru could become hers and forget all about that snooty "Ms. Clingy". She started to giggle harder as she thought of how ridiculous her nickname for Rei was, and also Jadeite had started to whisper ideas of his and Rei's and her and Mamoru's weddings in the future and how they'd invite each other to them.

Mamoru started to hear really loud giggling and turned around to see Jadeite and Usagi together in the corner of the stairs by the gate, the first blonde whispering into the other's ear as she giggled so cutely, the two of them laughing together, and WHERE on EARTH was he placing his hands on Usagi?

"_Not that I care," _Mamoru thought, trying not to look in their direction, but couldn't help staring. _"But shouldn't he at least keep his hands somewhere ELSE other than her waist?"_

"Oh? Is that Taitou-sempai and Tsukino-san?" A few people who were walking by noted, and some even nudged him at his free arm, telling him that he now had competition. He rolled his eyes, annoyed by these people as Rei looked over in the two blondes' direction. "Oh, I knew those two would end up together! _Ne_, Mamoru-kun?" She playfully pulled on his arm again, on which she was, much to Mamoru's annoyance, clinging to as they were walking to their next class.

"I don't pay much attention to such people." He stated simply, and shrugged Rei's arms off of him before continuing to walk away. Before he entered his classroom, though, he took one last glance at the two blondes laughing together, and then rushed into his room as Rei tried to catch up to him so she could sit next to him for class.

"Oh, Tsukino-san, I think they looked at us!" Jadeite whispered in her ear, and then she finally pushed him away. "Thank God! I didn't think I could last that long!" She looked away, though, upset. "However...I don't think Mamoru cared even if he looked. I don't even think he would care if I was dating someone else..."

Jadeite jumped up in the air happily. "Well I'm sure my Rei is filled with jealousy!" He clasped his hands together, hearts in his eyes. "Soon she will come running into my arms!"

That afternoon, during their tennis meet, Mamoru had challenged Jadeite to a match, and, of course, he agreed, saying he'd crush the little freshman.

Thirty seconds later, Jadeite had three scrapes on his knees, ten on his arms, and a few burns on his face from falling on the court. Everyone thought that the game felt so intense, and Usagi was shocked. Usually Jadeite would be able to hit a few balls back to Mamoru, but it seemed as if Mamoru was ready to kill the senior.

"Ahhh..." Rei said dreamily, her amethyst eyes locked on Mamoru's figure. "As expected from my Mamoru-kun!"

Usagi wheeled on her heels to face her raven-haired rival. "Y-YOUR Mamoru-kun?" She sputtered, and Rei nodded, flipping her hair over her shoulder, which annoyed Usagi. "Yes, MY Mamoru-kun! After all, you gave up on him, didn't you? You're always with Sempai, now, correct?"

"N-No! We're just-"

"Hey Jadeite-sempai!" Rei called out to the court, and Jadeite looked hopefully at the woman he loved. "Yes, Rei?"

"Tsukino-san is cheering you on! She says she loves you and that you should go on!" Rei cheered, and Usagi's jaw dropped. "NO!" She screamed, waving her arms up and down like a monkey, "I NEVER SAID THAT!"

Mamoru glared at Usagi, who didn't realize that he was, and finished off Jadeite with a hard ball, ending up in his getting a heavy nosebleed.

Usagi, with her natural instinct to run to injured people, ran over to Jadeite. "Jadeite-sempai, are you all right?" She asked, and he got up, groaning as he looked at his nosebleed. "Ah! My nose!" He whimpered, and Mamoru turned around, not facing the two. "Oh, and Hino-san," He said to Rei, whose eyes immediately brightened. "Yes, Mamoru-kun?"

"About that movie you mentioned earlier on Sunday...it turns out that I am indeed free."

"Really?" Rei smiled widely, and Mamoru nodded, smiling slightly. "All right then! I'll see you at the Juuban Theater at 1:30 P.M! Plus, it's a nice district, so we can get a bite to eat, too!"

Mamoru nodded again as Rei blathered on, taking him away from the tennis court, and Usagi and Jadeite sweatdropped, turned to each other, and started to argue.

"Baka! If only you hadn't told her to cheer for me!"

"What about you? Agreeing to have a match with Mamoru when you know he's a better than you?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And his heart is filled with many emotions...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Jadeite-sempai, are you sure this is a good idea? Watching them while on their..." Usagi didn't bother to finish the sentence with the word "date". She didn't want to say that the first date her Mamoru had was with her rival.

"Of course!" Jadeite said angrily, and peeked behind the pole they were hiding behind at Rei, who was standing by the entrance to Juuban theater in a dark red dress with casablancas decorated on the hem. Her hair looked as if it was specially made for a specific event, and Usagi could've sworn she was wearing make-up. "Are casablancas her thing or something? And why does she always dress so fancily when meeting-" Usagi was cut off as Jadeite pointed at her. "Hey! Don't say anything bad about my Rei!" He commanded, and she immediately hushed. After a few moments of awkward watching, Jadeite lost it. "Are you sure Chiba left the house and he's going on this date?" He demanded from Usagi, and she nodded frantically. "I'm sure!"

She started to remember how Mamoru had started to act much more coldly around her, and she couldn't help but wonder why. Ever since she had moved back in, he had been much more meaner to her, and she tried to be much nicer, but it seemed as if he didn't want to return the favor. He even mentioned that she had "an incredibly un-sexy body" when he found her little bear undies lying in the hallway while she was taking a shower. She demanded why the hell he always was so mean to her, and he said that when he saw her, he immediately became irritated and he had a sudden urge to bully her.

Usagi shook her head, not wanting to re-visit that unpleasant thought.

"Mamoru-kun!" Rei's annoying voice sang through her ears, and she whipped around as she saw that woman put her claws (Did she just say claws? Oh dear...) all over Mamoru (_"He actually complimented that devilish woman on how she looked?"_) going on and on about how she missed him and how she was sure they were going to have a great time together as they started to head for the entrance of the theater.

Usagi and Jadeite followed the two into the theater and sat right behind them, trying their best to hide their faces from the people they liked, or else God knows how it would've ended up.

"Ne, Mamoru-kun! I heard this movie is about love!" Rei piped, her hands clasped together.

"Oh really?" Mamoru asked, a dazzling smile creeping on his face, and Rei nodded. "Not only that, but the two head actors are engaged in real life!"

Mamoru chuckled and Usagi couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as if Rei would try to pull a move on him in the darkness.

The movie began and the big screen began to light up, the projection illuminating it with a scene of cherry blossoms where a young girl appeared and began to dance with the falling petals, looking very carefree.

Usagi stared at the screen and then noticed movement somewhere else. That Rei! She was starting to lean on her head on _her_ Mamoru's shoulder! What did she think she was doing?

Not wanting to let her win, she quickly extended her arm between the slit between Mamoru and Rei's seat, starting to yell, "WHERE ARE MY GLASSES?" in an old voice.

"Hey! We don't have your glasses, old man!" Rei yelled, and Usagi apologized in her transformed voice. Jadeite gave her a thumbs-up and she smiled._ "Hopefully nothing else will happen." _Usagi thought.

_"Oh Irie-kun! I'll never forget you!" _The girl on the screen exclaimed as she embraced her partner tightly, who was holding her in his arms. _"I love you, Kotoko." _The man said and then separated her from him, looking deep into her eyes. As the girl stood on her tiptoes to kiss her love, Usagi noticed that Rei's clawed hand started to reach for Mamoru's! That fiend!

Usagi looked around, and then found the perfect item. She grabbed the cylinder from two seats away from her and dumped it upside down on Rei's hand, which caused coke and ice to spill all over her reached hand.

Rei screamed and turned around to Usagi and Jadeite, who immediately ducked underneath their chairs. "What's wrong with you, you old man?" She demanded, and Usagi tried to use her old voice again. "_Gomen_, young lady. It won't happen again!" She promised before snickering under her breath. Rei wouldn't even dare to try anything with Mamoru for the rest of the movie, now.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~He never, not once, notices...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"_Ne,_ Mamoru-kun, who's your ideal woman?" Rei asked as she sipped some of her ginger tea.

The two were now sitting in a restaurant, Rei's head propped up on her two elbows as she gazed dreamily at Mamoru, who drank black coffee. The two just left the expensive boutique around the corner (where Rei bought an expensive tennis racket and Usagi ended up buying a shirt for Mamoru, much to Jadeite's disappointment), and Rei had just told Mamoru she liked him because he was handsome and smart-the only kind of guy she liked (while a sulking Jadeite sulked in the corner as he and Usagi watched them).

Mamoru opened his mouth to respond, but saw a gleam of yellow by the corner of his right eye. He could've sworn there were two yellow circles, popping up behind the table in the corner. Two familiar yellow circles. He smiled at himself and decided to have a little fun. "Let's see...anyone who's beautiful, well developed, and intelligent."

Usagi felt as if someone deflated her. Beautiful? Well developed? INTELLIGENT?

"Oh, wow, you've definitely got no chance." Jadeite whispered to Usagi before she punched him hard in the arm and stomped on his foot, causing him to bite his tongue to prevent him from screaming out loud.

Mamoru thought a little more...there was one more thing he was missing! What was it...oh, right! "Oh, and she has to be a good cook."

That killed Usagi. She felt some of the chocolate milkshake in her throat turn into a lump and she tried to swallow it down, but it wouldn't let her. She got up and started to walk out the door, but not before hearing Rei ask, "Then wouldn't we make a great couple?" Usagi didn't feel like turning around, as she didn't want to see what Mamoru's response was.

"Tsukino-san, what are you doing?" Jadeite asked as he caught up with the depressed blonde, who was simply walking, her eyes fixed on the ground. "Going home," She mumbled.

"But why?"

"I just can't stand to see them together any more! Don't you see how truly in love they are? They were holding hands in the boutique, Mamoru was holding her around the shoulders wherever they walked-"

"So are you accepting them as a couple?" Jadeite demanded, his eyes angry, and tears formed in Usagi's eyes.

"I just don't want to feel any more pathetic, okay?" She shot back, and turned around. "I give up!" She didn't look where she was going and ran into a large, fat guy with sunglasses. His dark hair was slick and shiny, as if he had put hair gel in it many times, and there was lots of acne on his face. She looked up and saw a large coffee stain on what seemed like a designer shirt, and then realized that she had caused him to spill that stain. "O-Oh my! _G-Gomenasai_!" She apologized, and he shook his head. "You know how much this cost me? 100,000 yen! C'mon, pay me at least 50,000 yen for the cleaning cost, and we'll call it even!"

"B-But I only have 500 yen left after buying that shirt-"

"Well then YOU'RE COMIN' WITH ME!" The gangster boomed, and, despite Jadeite's tiny squeaks, grabbed Usagi's arm and tried to drag her away.

"Stop." A familiar voice ordered, and, along with the whole crowd forming around them, Usagi and the gangster turned around to see Mamoru holding onto the gangster's arm tightly and a shocked Rei behind him. "Let her go. Asking for 500 yen to clean that cheap knockoff shirt is more than enough, you know."

"E-Excuse me?" The gangster demanded, forgetting about Usagi, who whimpered and ran to hide behind Mamoru. "I'll have you know this shirt is Ral- Raphlo-"

"You mean Ralph Lauren?"

The gangster was silent, and then whistled. Two tough-looking men, one blonde, one a brunette, stepped out behind two other nearby buildings, punching their fists, each wearing sunglasses as well as their leader.

"No one corrects Akio-san. Even if they're right." He growled, and Rei backed away as Usagi and Jadeite started to whimper. More men stepped out of the shadows, their teeth gritted and Mamoru backed away towards Usagi. Suddenly, he turned around, grabbed her hand, while Jadeite grabbed Rei's wrist, and started to run, yelling, "RUN!" as the gangsters started to chase them.

**A/N:**** YES, YES, I USED THE NAMES OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM **_**ITAZURA NA KISS**_** IN THE MOVIE! Don't kill me for it! **

**Hooray, another cliffy! x3 Mwahaha, I is so evil! :D**

**My, my! Was our little Mamoru jealous in this chapter? (; Heehee, I love both of these shows. They're both so cute! I wish Itazura Na Kiss was a bit longer, though T-T It had twenty-five episodes while Sailor Moon had two hundred O.O It has ⅛th the amount of episodes that Sailor Moon does! :O**

**TODAY'S USAGI-CHAN'S BIRTHDAY! And this was my Usagi birthday gift to you guys- a quick update!**

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY USAGI-CHAN! 3**

**Review pleasies since I gave a quick update?(:**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**** JiLLiAN2548: Thanks so much for the suggestion! It sounds really cute(: I'm sorry to say this, though, but it is now the end of Usagi and Jadeite's lovey-dovey relationship ): I'm sorry! Who knows, though, I might use that little scenario you suggested for another character and Usagi?(; Thanks again for the lovely suggestion!(:**  
**My, my! Thank you all for the nice reviews and for all the subscribing/favoriting! I'm glad you guys like this story ^_^ As my gift to you all, here's a super long chapter :D It's about two and a half times bigger than a usual chapter :3 (Did that make sense...?)**  
**Hmmm nothing else to say, now! On to Chapter Nine! :D Enjoy!**  
__

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS OR SAILOR MOON!**_

**Chapter 9**

Usagi could feel her breath start to quicken as Mamoru ran with her, his hand tightly holding hers, and she started to feel as if she were in one of those dramatic, action-packed yet romantic movies. Yet she didn't want this movie to end. She wanted to be like this forever, even though they were being chased by big, muscular, scary, tough gangsters. She had to admit, that part sucked. A lot.

"_I'm not sure if Mamoru grabbed the wrong hand in the midst of confusion, but I'm so happy right now,"_ She thought happily as she ran along with Mamoru, her heart beating faster. "_I got what I wanted. No, both Sempai and I got what we wanted. Just a few moments with the person we li- no, love. Even if we are being chased by freaky bad people!_"

"We can hide in here," Mamoru huffed as they reached a clean alley between two apartment buildings. "Find a place to hide!" He told her, and she nodded as she looked around.

Mamoru ran to hide behind a part of the rusty building, and then felt someone breathing on him. It felt as if it were a small person, since their mouth seemed to come right up to his shoulder, because he could feel them breathing on his shoulder. He could feel that someone about to approach him, though, despite their heavy breathing, and he quickly grabbed their outstretched arm before they could attack. Instead of feeling a hard, muscular hand, he felt a soft, small hand, the owner of it squeaking "_Itai!_" in a familiar, high pitched voice as he grabbed the hand. Gangsters didn't have soft hands, or girly voices. He turned around and saw Usagi, freaked out by his clutching her wrist. "What're you doing?" He demanded as he let go of her wrist.

"You said to find a place to hide!" She said, rubbing her hand, and he smacked his forehead. "I didn't mean behind _me!"  
_  
Before Usagi could respond, two gangsters yelled, "THERE THEY ARE! STOP!" as they spotted the arguing pair. Mamoru grabbed Usagi's hand again, not waiting for her to scream or respond. "Come on!" He simply ordered, and the two started to run again.

Meanwhile, Jadeite and Rei had reached the inside of a mall, holding each other's hands tightly. Once they were sure they lost sight of the gangsters while riding the escalator, Rei realized how affectionately she was holding Jadeite's hand and smiled slightly as she let go of his hand and glanced over at him.

"_Oh, I'll never wash this hand again!_" Jadeite thought as he stared at his wrist, trying to resist the urge of rubbing his palm against his cheek lovingly. He glanced over at Rei, and couldn't help but think that she looked so beautiful, so shy, and, for once, he didn't even care that she had a look on her face suggesting that she wanted to be pulled away by Mamoru instead of him.

"Hey! Over there!" A voice shouted, and the two turned around to see five gangsters running towards them. Rei screamed as Jadeite grabbed her hand again, pulling her up the escalator. "Hurry!" He exclaimed, and she nodded as she returned the firm grasp his hand had on hers, running along with him throughout the mall, hoping that the bright lights and colors would distract the gangsters a little bit, so that they could cover their tracks.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Her each and every move...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"I think we'll be fine here." Mamoru stated as they reached the outskirts of the downtown area they were in, thanks to an incoming parade that camouflaged them, hiding them from the angry gangsters. Usagi bent down to her knees, huffing and puffing, her whole face sweaty. "Okay" was all she managed to say before she collapsed on the nearby bench. She was thankful for the nearby sprinkler for blessing her with its' presence, showering its' small droplets of water on her sweaty self. She sighed happily as she wiped her forehead with her already-wet sleeve, and Mamoru re-appeared beside her with a can of coke. He took a long sip, and then, noticing Usagi's pleading, big-eyed look, sighed and asked, "You want a sip?"

"Yes please!" Usagi chirped, and he stretched his arm out to give it to her. She immediately swiped it out of his outstretched hand and started to gulp it down quickly, trying to quench her thirst. "One sip only, though," He warned. "as we want to share-"

Usagi let out a small burp and then smacked her lips. "Oh...one sip?"

Mamoru's eyes widened in disbelief. "Don't tell me you already drank it all?"

The odango-ed blonde pursed her lips and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry..." She apologized, and then attempted to throw the can over her shoulder into the garbage fifteen feet away. However, her bad aim sent the can to hit the nearby pole, sending it back to hit her square in the forehead, causing her to fall back, rubbing her forehead back and forth, trying to heal her wound. Mamoru shook his head. _"Honestly, this girl..."_ He thought in wonder, _"She's really unbelievable..."  
_  
Usagi looked to the side, the one question she had been asking herself ever since they started to run hammering the walls of her brain, demanding to be answered.  
"_Ano_...Mamoru?" She asked, fidgeting with her left ponytail.

"What?"

Usagi bit her lip, wondering if it was a silly question or not. "Why did you grab my hand?"

"Did you want Sempai to grab your hand, instead?" He asked bitterly. What kind of thanks for saving her life was that?

"N-No!" Usagi waved her hands back and forth, trying to avoid that thought. "It's just that..." She turned to him, her teeth still biting her lower lip, which was now a bit chapped from her teeth sinking themselves into the pink sponges too much, as she remembered the layout of their areas before the gangsters started to chase them. "You were closer to Rei-san, yet you ran to me. And she was your date, after all."

Mamoru's bitterness immediately melted and he chuckled. "He worked so hard, got an actress to go along with him," He pointed at her, "And even followed us during our date. If I didn't let him hold her hand even _once,_ then I would be a bit unfair, wouldn't I?"

Usagi's eyes widened as she dropped her ponytail, her wide blue eyes filled with many unanswered questions. "Wha-But-You-But-How-Mamo-?" She stammered.

Mamoru had to purse his lips for a moment to prevent himself from bursting out in laughter at how ridiculous the odango in front of him looked. "Actually, since today, I thought you two and Sempai were an item." He could feel that new feeling start to re-bubble inside of him. The new feeling he felt when he saw Usagi and Jadeite together a few days ago, holding hands, when he saw where Jadeite's hands were on her, and how he felt something he had never experienced before when he was playing furiously against the senior during tennis club with all of his strength. "But ever since I saw you two tailing us and all the recent events," He shrugged. "I knew what both of your true intentions were."

Usagi turned red, not believing how stupid she was. "_Gomenasai!_" She apologized. "I-It's just that when I saw you agree to her asking you out, a-and Sempai ordered that we go after you guys, it seemed like a g-good idea!" She looked down, starting to fidget with her ponytail again. "B-But, Mamoru, if you really are in love with Rei-san, t-then I've done a terrible thing, and I'll get out of the way-"

"Wanna go somewhere?"

Usagi looked up at him, the question taking her in much surprise. After some silence, she jumped off the bench happily, her cerulean eyes sparkling. "YES!"

Mamoru sighed as he got off the bench, knowing that this afternoon was going to be painful. He knew he shouldn't have asked that question, and that he shouldn't open his mouth to ask the next one in his mind, but he couldn't help it. "Where do you want to go?"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~He realizes that he has already fallen deep inside...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_"This is amazing,"_ Usagi thought as she felt her cheeks flush a deep red. She watched as Mamoru rowed the boat slowly with the two oars by his side, and she couldn't help but feel her heart leap. _"I've probably used up a whole lifetime's worth of happiness all on today!"_ She looked to the side and gazed at the beautiful scene around her.  
They were in a beautiful lake that was the color of Mamoru's deep navy eyes, but the ripples that were cast were brighter than the shine of the sun. The trees added to her "dreamy dream area", as she called it in her mind, as their cherry blossom petals drifted through the air, coloring the sky with their soft and bright pink textures. Tiny, golden baby ducks followed their cloud-white mothers, who led their children around the areas, quacking gently yet firmly for their kin to be able to hear them and not get lost around the many boats in the area. And to top it off, the sun was smiling its' rays on the two, and Usagi couldn't help but feel completely loved as she basked in the warmth. She turned and saw a white mama duck quacking near her, and she smiled at it. _"Oh, Ahiru-chan _[duck],_ do we look like the ideal couple?"_ She asked in her mind, mama duck continued to quack to her children. One of the baby ducks sneezed after it's mother quacked, sending it a few inches back into the water, some water splashing near Usagi.

The blonde laughed softly as she watched the little duck waddle back to it's mama, quacking of it's recent adventures. Usagi leaned over to the side of the boat, smiling at her beaming reflection in the water. "_Ne, _Mamoru?"

"What is it?" Mamoru asked, taking this moment to let go of the oars and massage his arms, which were aching a lot. Rowing the oars wasn't easy. Especially when a certain odango was just enjoying the scene around her, not realizing that he paid for the boat, and now was going through all the pain. Then again, she did throw her arms around him when she found out he finally agreed to her pleading to go on the rowboat, and he had to literally _pry_ her off him.

"Doesn't the water look so clear and serene? Like you could just...jump in and you'd feel as if you'd enter a whole new world?"

Mamoru opened his mouth to respond, but Usagi popped back up and then noticed something he had long before she had. He had tried to tell her about it, but she simply wouldn't listen. "Also, we're the only couple in a boat here!" She smiled. "Everyone else in the boats here are families!"

Mamoru knew he shouldn't open his mouth to tell her this, but he couldn't resist. "Of course there aren't any couples. Don't you know?"

Usagi cocked her head to the side, confused. "Know what?"

"There's a famous jinx on this lake that says couples who go boating together here end up separating."

Usagi's jaw dropped. "W-What?"

Mamoru nodded, leaning back more into the boat, relaxing his aching arms. "It's because the goddess who watches over this lake gets jealous when she sees the happy couples and makes them break up."

"ARE YOU KIDDING?" Usagi demanded, getting up, and Mamoru's eyes widened. "_Baka!_ Don't get up!" He yelled, but it was too late. Usagi's sudden rising shifted the weight of the boat, which rocked from side to side, and she screamed. "U-Uh-OH!" She screamed as the boat tipped over, sending the both of them splashing into the water.

The two came up, hearing some people shouting that a couple had fell into the lake. Usagi spat out the water that entered her mouth when she fell in and Mamoru had his elbow rested against the top of the boat, shaking his head. "Well, you got your wish to 'jump in' has been granted." He muttered, and Usagi bit her lip. "_Of course I'd always mess it up..."_ She thought as she smacked her head.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~He knows/I think he knows...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"I'm sorry I caused this!" Usagi apologized for the fortieth time as she squeezed her drenched ponytail, a pool of water piling up right underneath it in the dark green grass. The two were sitting underneath a tree as the sun was slowly setting down into the horizon. While Usagi remained in her wet clothes, hoping that they would dry quickly in the summer sun, Mamoru had taken off his shirt, wearing an undershirt, much to her happiness, or else she would've kept staring at how fit he looked, and she didn't want to gawk at him.

"Oh! That reminds me!" She grabbed her bag and pulled out the shirt she had bought for him while she and Jadeite were at the boutique, spying on him and Rei. "I bought you a shirt! I really think it'll suit you, and you can where it while your clothes dry!" She smiled as she held it out for him, and he took it from her, glanced over at the dark blue collar. "What is it?" She scooted next to him and realized the price tag was still on there, where it said in bright gold letters: "¥4045" . "You spent 4,050 yen on a shirt**?" He demanded, and her face turned red. "I-It was on sale!" She said, but he shook his head. "You wear it." He said as he threw the shirt back at her.

Usagi felt her heart sink. "You don't want it?" She quietly asked, and then held the shirt up to her face, inhaling the boutique scent wrapped in it. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what you liked-"

"_Baka._ You're soaking wet. I'm just saying that you wear it now, so you can dry. And then I'll take it when we get home."

Usagi's heart lifted a little. "Oh, okay!" She exclaimed, and then ran to the nearest restroom to change.

When she came back, though, wearing the navy blue and dark turquoise shirt, Mamoru was nowhere. "Mamoru...?" She asked, and looked around the area. The shopping bag was still there, and so was Mamoru's half-wet shirt, which was still hanging on the branch of the tree they were sitting under ten minutes ago.

"Mamoru?" She called his name again, and started to wander around the area, looking for him. "If this is a joke, then it's not fun- WAHH!" Usagi was cut off and screamed as she tripped over the shopping bag, falling flat on her face. "_Itai!"_ She squeaked, and started to rub her knees, which were slightly scraped. "That hurt-"

"Hic!" Usagi forgot all about her injury as she heard a small voice quietly sobbing. She got up and walked over to the source of the wailing, which was a nearby tree. Usagi looked up and saw a small, tiny girl clutching on to a dark brown branch of the tree as she was perched up on one of it's skinny branches. The girl had pinkish-reddish hair which was put up like Usagi's except her odangos were in the shape of hearts, and her ponytails were in the shape of little spirals. Her bright blue eyes were covered with shining tears, her rims almost the color of her hair because of her constant crying, and Usagi felt her heart sink. "_Ano_, are you all right?" She called out to the crying girl, who noticed the teenager and stretched out her arms, as if she expected Usagi to save her. "Chibi!" She sniffed, and Usagi noticed how high she was.

The little girl was sitting on a branch that was, according to her mind, "_really_ high" above the ground, and Usagi couldn't help wonder how on Earth she had gotten that high. "O-Okay, just stay there!" Usagi called out to the little girl, and looked around as she tried to find a way to get the little girl down from there safely.

Ten minutes later, Mamoru arrived with takeout for himself and Usagi to eat, as it was already dinner time and there was no way they'd get back home before she'd pass out due to her lack of food. He put it down and realized that she hadn't came back. "Oi, Odango_!"_ He called out, but got no response. _"She didn't get lost, did she?"_ He wondered as he scratched his head, looking around, _"I saw the women's restroom while I left that food stall, and it wasn't too far from here..."_ He started to look around and then heard an all-too-familiar shriek. "_Don't tell me she got in trouble again..._"

He shook his head and started to search the area. "Odango_, _where are you?" He asked, and heard another shriek near the tree he was next to. He started to walk into the direction of that shriek and saw Usagi kneeling on a branch at least fifteen feet off the ground, stretching out to a little to a two or three-year old, whose outstretched tiny fingers were a few inches away from the tips of Usagi's fingers, which were trying desperately to reach the young girl. "Oi_,_ what are you doing?" He demanded, and she turned to him, surprised at how sudden his voice sounded at the moment. "M-Mamoru!" She blinked in surprise, and pursed her lips, thinking of a way to describe the current situation without him getting mad. "I-I'm just saving the little girl!" She said, and ignored his "Are you crazy?"s and "You didn't even see where the child's mother was?"s. She tried to lean forward even more, and so did the little girl, and a sudden cracking noise filled all three of their ears. The branch was going to crack from the tension and added weight. Really soon.

Usagi looked up and saw the child's bright blue eyes fill with more alarm and fright, and her heart screamed at her that she had to save the child. Now.

"Usagi!" Mamoru called out to her, his eyes wide with shock as he realized what she was going to do, "Don't do it! I'll get a ladder or something, but whatever you do, do _not_ jump! There are other ways to save the child without maiming yourself!"

Usagi looked down for a moment at Mamoru, thinking about how much danger she was putting herself in. Then shook her head, and knew it was the only way to save that child. There was no way Mamoru could find a ladder quickly, or that the fire department would reach them in time. The branch was going to crack really soon.

Without thinking, Usagi quickly jumped forward and grabbed the sobbing child, holding her tightly to her chest as she shut her eyes. The branch cracked loudly and broke, sending Usagi and the child down. Mamoru ran forward and caught Usagi, letting out a little "hmph!" as he fell on the grass, and she quickly scrambled off of him, still holding the child close to her. "M-Mamoru! Are you okay? Mamoru! " She called out to him, and he got up, brushing the pile of leaves he fell in off of him. "Yeah, I'm fine." He murmured, and got up, Usagi rising up next to him, keeping the child near her shoulders. She then realized she was holding the child like a baby and held her up. "You're all right, now, little one. Where's your mama?"

"Chibi-Chibi!" A soft yet worried voice rang out, and Usagi turned to see a woman in a bright teal dress with golden and red hair that reached her heels running towards the couple. She picked the girl from Usagi's arms and twirled her around in her own, holding her close. "Thank goodness you're all right, my little star!" She whispered, and heavy tears started to trickle down her rosy cheeks as her daughter did the same. "Ch-Chibi Chibi!" The little girl stammered, sobbing into her mother's chest as she locked her arms around her neck tightly.

The woman turned to the two, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you two so much for finding her," She whispered, "I don't know what I would've done without my only daughter!" She kissed her daughter's wet cheek and Mamoru smiled. "It was nothing, we're happy to help." He told the woman, and Usagi nodded. "You two have a nice evening!" She chirped, and the woman smiled slightly back at them, and then turned to her daughter. "Now, Chibi-Chibi, tell this nice couple 'thank you'! I wish you two eternal happiness and hope you two are happy together!" She bowed, and then disappeared as she walked away.

Usagi blushed as the woman's words repeated over and over in her mind. "_C-Couple?"_ She thought, and Mamoru ran his hand through his hair, exhausted. "Well that was exhausting. Let's go eat." He said, and Usagi blinked. "You brought food?" She asked, stunned yet grateful, and he nodded. "Of course. Otherwise, by the time we got home, you'd have passed out due to no dinner and I don't want to carry your dead body home. You're too heavy." He said, and turned to walk back.

"O-Oi_!_" Usagi yelled at him as they walked back. "I'll have you know, Mamoru-_baka_, that I'm _only _95 pounds!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Everything about her, all of it, he knows...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Ugh, what a day," Mamoru shook his head as he munched on the piece of roast chicken. Usagi silently slurped her noodles, not sure if she should apologize or not.

"You know, I've never felt what it's like to be in trouble."

Usagi looked up at Mamoru, surprised. "Really?" She asked, her voice filled with disbelief. She, who got into trouble almost every day with her clumsiness, couldn't imagine what it was like to live a life without trouble.

Mamoru nodded, his black hair starting to flow in the slight wind. "I've tried many times to think of the moments in my life when I'd felt panic or when I was irritated. But I came up with nothing. But everyday, ever since you handed me that love letter of yours, my life's been filled with nothing but trouble and annoyance."

Usagi pursed her lips, feeling her face turned red. "I'm-"

"But you know," Mamoru cut her off, going on. "I think, though, that you were given to me by life as a sort of trial."

"Trial...?" Usagi asked, confused, cocking her head to the side as she slurped another batch of noodles.

"Yup. And since it's the first challenge I've ever faced, I panicked, and tried to run away from it."

Memories flooded Usagi's mind as she remembered how he constantly tried to ignore her at school back during senior year and also a little this year during University. She sweatdropped. "You're talking as if I'm a bad omen or evil source or something!" She said angrily, clenching her fists.

"Though I've started to think that, instead of leading a trouble-free life," He looked away, her navy blue eyes shining in the sunlight, resulting in Usagi gawking at him in adoration. "It might be fun to stand up against this trouble and face it head-on."

"By 'trouble', you mean me, don't you?" Usagi asked, smacking her head, and he nodded. "So..." She tried to put the pieces together in her mind. "You're going to stand up against me...?" She asked, confused, and he nodded. "Life is always supposed to have its ups and downs, isn't it?"

Usagi tapped her index finger on her chin, as if in deep thought. "_A-Ano..."  
_  
"It's all right if you don't get it, _Odango_." He smirked, and her face turned tomato red. "I'm not _that_ stupid!" She fumed, and she continued to think about it. "Hmm...so first you said you tried to run from me," She pointed at one non-specific blade of grass, trying to imagine a depiction in her mind. "But now you've changed your mind and now you want to..." Her voice trailed off, her other hand pointing at a tree trunk, and there were a few moments of silence as she sat there, staring at the nature around them.

"It means-"

"ARE YOU PROPOSING TO ME?" Usagi asked, her bright blue eyes wide with shock as she started to shake him by the shoulders and Mamoru started to choke on his chicken. "No, _baka!_" He said, as he coughed it out and pushed her hands off of him. "You're thinking about this way too deeply!"  
"But you said..." Usagi was deeply confused.

"I'm just saying that I don't mind living in the same house as you anymore."

Usagi scooted next to him, her palms and knees on the grass and she stared at him, her eyes blinking curiously at him. "So does this mean you don't hate me?"

Mamoru slipped another piece of chicken into his mouth. "I find you hard to deal with, but," He turned to her, smiling, "No, I don't hate you."

As the sun started to set, coloring the area with beautiful reds and purples, setting a lovely cast on the scenery. Usagi felt as if she were in a dream, and tears welled up in her eyes as Mamoru's recent words re-played into her mind. He didn't hate her? All this time, she thought he hated her with all his heart, but, no, he was just running from her...

"What happened, _Odango?_ You're quiet-"

Usagi jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Mamoru's neck and hugged him tightly, siletly sobbing. "I love you, Mamoru!" She exclaimed, and was rather surprised that he hadn't shaken her off. Nevertheless, she went on, "I've loved you ever since the first year of high school, and I always have! I may not be beautiful, buxom, intelligent, or a good cook, but I promise I can become all of these things for you!"

Mamoru pulled away from their embrace and smiled at her. "Really? You're willing to become intelligent and study for my sake, Odango?"

Usagi sweatdropped. _"Uh-oh."_ "W-Well, yeah! I'll work hard to become your ideal woman!"

Mamoru shook his head, brushing off some of the leaves that were blowing into his hair from the light breeze. "Well, I'm looking forward to that. What's your idea of an intelligent person? In other words, what are you going to aim for on your next test?"

"U-Uh...a 60?"

"A 60? Is that how much your love for me is worth?"

"No!" Usagi turned red, waving her arms. "U-Um...a 70?"

"I was thinking more on the lines of at least a 90."

"Oh..."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Seeing her work so hard...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"AHHHHHH!"

"Meow."

Usagi looked down and saw a midnight-dyed kitty, who started to rub against her legs, despite her screaming just now. "_A-Ano,_ _neko-chan _[kitty],please leave me alone!" Usagi stammered, but the cat continued to lean onto Usagi's feet, lovingly mewing, despite her constant squeaking. "Meow!"

"G-Get away!" Usagi half-whispered as she started to sink further into the couch, but the cat jumped onto the couch, headed for her, mewing for attention.

"It's nice that you found this cat, Usagi-chan!" Saori exclaimed as she clasped her hands together happily, her turquoise eyes gleaming. "Now we have another member of the Chiba family!"

"Y-Yes, it's wonderful, Auntie..." Usagi turned back at the kitty, who was now demanding to be rubbed on her back by Usagi, rubbing her back against the blonde's hand.

Usagi actually hadn't found the cat. While walking back home after failing another test (Mamoru yelled at her during the tennis meet for that, much to her disappointment) and getting smacked by another tennis ball, she heard a faint voice and thought it was a small child. She followed the source of what she thought was crying, and saw a small, dark bluish-blackish cat with scarlet red eyes. On her forehead was a rather lighter shade of blue which was in the rough shape of a crescent moon.

Usagi thought it was weird, but thought the cat was kind of cute. That is, until the tiny kitty jumped on top of her, nestling inside her hair. Usagi screamed and ran around like a maniac, bringing many stares to herself. In the end, the cat had ended up following her home.

"What should we name her?" Kobayashi asked as he sat on the couch next to Usagi, petting the pretty kitty.

"Chibi!" Shingo piped, "Because she's so small!"

As if it had a mind of its' own, the cat hissed and Shingo shook his head. "Okay, maybe not..."

Usagi tapped her finger on her chin. Even though she was dead scared of the kitty at the moment, it was rather cute. "How about _Tsuki_ [moon]? Because of it's forehead?"

The kitty mewed quietly, as if she was saying she'd give the name some thought, and Mamoru, who didn't look up from his book, spoke for the first time since him and Usagi came home. "What about 'Luna'?"

Murmurs of agreement came throughout the family, and even the kitty started to mew louder. "Luna-chan, come here!" He smiled, and the kitty mewed happily as it ran towards Mamoru and cuddled into his lap, happily snuggled.

"Aww!" Saori happily exclaimed, "Luna-chan has a liking to you, Mamoru!" She smiled happily, and, as if she heard her name was spoken, Luna got up and jumped off the couch, walking towards Usagi, who tried to run away. Luna mewed and Usagi shook her head. "N-No! Go back to Mamoru!" She said, but the cat kept walking towards her, and then fell on her feet, falling asleep on there once Usagi was trapped in the corner of the room.

"She loves you, too, Usagi-chan!" Saori exclaimed, jumping in her spot, her bright pink apron and dark hair fluttering around. "It means you two are destined to be! It means-"

"It doesn't mean anything, Ma." Mamoru said, and closed his book, raising from his seat. "I'm going to take a shower." He stated, and then headed for the stairs, where he was about to climb up the stairs. He stopped, though, and turned around. "Although, I will help train Luna-chan along with Odango. Because God knows, she might end up teaching Luna-chan how to get on the dinner table when we're eating, or train her on how to hurt herself." He shook his head and Usagi's face turned tomato red. "HEY!" She yelled angrily. "I'll have you know, I used to volunteer at a pet shelter in middle school! And all the animals there turned out perfectly fine!" She crossed her arms and did a little, "HMPH!" as she did, and Mamoru shrugged as he continued up the stairs.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Long ago, deep in his heart...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_  
Usagi hesitated for a moment. Auntie had told her to go tell Mamoru, who was up in his room, that they were planning to go to the hot springs their family went to every year for two days in four days, and they wanted to know if he wanted to go. She didn't want to disturb him, and even though it had been four months since her and Mamoru's 'date', his behavior towards her hadn't changed at all. She was sure, though, that Auntie would get upset if she reported back to her without Mamoru's answer. Also, Shingo was in the shower now, and she knew if he was in Mamoru's room, he would've given her a hard time. It was either bother Mamoru and get yelled at, or receive a disappointing look from Auntie.

She raised her right arm and pushed it a little to the side as she popped her head in to look. Mamoru was sitting at his desk, reading a booklet on his desk. Usagi watched him as he quietly moved his navy eyes from left to right, reading the words in black ink on the thin white booklet. He ran his hand through his shiny black hair as if it were a move of frustration, and she wondered if she should come back later. But she shook her head, her ponytails dancing back and forth, and took one step in, knocking gently on the door.

"May I come in?" She asked softly, and he sighed as he put aside the booklet, hiding it in his drawer. "What are you hiding?" She asked as she walked in, mad that he would hide something from her. "It's not a dirty magazine, is it?"

Mamoru pulled one of her ponytails. "Stop being stupid, Odango. What do you want?"

Usagi's lips formed into an "O" as she remembered why she came to his room. "Oh, right. Auntie Saori wants us all to take a vacation to a hot springs in Osaka."

"Another trip, huh? She sure has a thing for trips." He turned around, now looking at his desk. "I don't want to go, though."

"But why?" Usagi asked, trying not to make her question sound like a whine. "Osaka's only an hour away if we take a bullet train!" She wheeled his chair around so that he was facing her. "And also, it'll be great to relieve the stress school has given us and we can eat hot pot! It'll be fun!" She started tugging on his arm. "_Ne, ne, _Mamoru! Come on! Don't be such-"

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, I'LL COME, JUST SHUT UP!" Mamoru exploded, and Usagi clasped her hands together. "Yay! I'll go tell Auntie Saori, and you CAN'T go back on your word!" She exclaimed and ran out the door, her ponytails fluttering behind her, leaving Mamoru with a huge migraine as he massaged his temples with his index fingers.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~He already wants to hold her tight...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_  
"Wahh!" Usagi stared at the scenery in front of her. "This place is amazing!" She exclaimed, and Auntie nodded, her black hair jumping up and down as she did. "I know! It's simply gorgeous, right, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi nodded, her mouth in a large "O" as she looked at the waterfall, where little lights were placed at the bottom, changing the color of the water from scarlet reds to dark purples to sunny yellows. There were many bright green trees with skinny brown trunks and branches decorating the area, and the sunset, that was giving away rays of bright lilac mixed with blood red and tea orange into the bright blue, cloud-filled sky, completed the scene. "It's beautiful!" She blurted, and Saori giggled.  
"We'll have lots of fun here, won't we, Ken-chan?" Kobayashi asked Usagi's father, who was, too, gawking at the scene around them. Then, he shook his head, his glasses almost falling off of his face. He pushed his glasses against his nose and turned to his best friend. "Yes, but Usagi and I will pay for our dishes and anything we buy, all right?"

"Oh Ken-chan," Kobayashi clapped his hand on his back, laughing heartily, "You're still so formal!"

"But we've been staying in your home for a year and a half, so-"

"There's no need for that!" Kobayashi laughed, his hand waving. "The workers and owner at this hotel know me, so we'll get everything really cheap, so it's all right. Also, you're our guest, Ken-chan!"

"Our guest for almost a year and a half." Usagi heard Shingo mutter under his breath as he stroked Luna in his arms, and her heart sank as she bit her lip.  
Many of the hotel employees bowed in respect to them as they walked through the golden-painted hallway of the hotel, and Usagi watched in awe. "Wow," She said, "Uncle sure is a big deal, judging how everyone is treating us!" Mamoru rolled his eyes at her comment. "Don't be so impressed by a display like this, Odango." He muttered, and she pouted as they entered the elevator. "Well, it makes me feel like that English word! What was it...oh, right! It makes me feel like I'm LOYALTY! Not that you would know anything about loyal, Mamoru-_baka_!"

Mamoru felt his mouth pull up a bit at the corners at his new nickname and her grammar mistake. " 'Mamoru-_baka_?' How appropriate for someone with such a low vocabulary who can't even remember that it's 'ROYALTY', not 'loyalty'," He said, and her face fumed at her mistake. "As for royalty, well, I _did_ have a fanclub, Odango, remember? In high school? And now, too." He reminded her, and she felt the familiar large amounts of jealousy bubbling up in her when she saw a bunch of the pretty girls following him around in high school, and now, even in University, there were now pretty, intelligent, and athletic girls, too, that tried to catch his eye. Like Hino Rei-san.

Usagi groaned as they got out of the elevator, dragging her bag across the floor. She thought this would be a great time to spend together with Mamoru with no Rei constantly breathing down his back, but she thought over the fact that maybe, just maybe, he _did_ like her. What wasn't to like about her? Usagi heard she was a priestess at the nearby shrine her grandfather owned, she had beautiful, raven-black hair that matched Mamoru's, purple eyes that were as shiny as amethysts, she was in his department, so she was definitely smart, got a high rank in the National Mock Exam, and was athletic. How on Earth was she to compete with beautiful, smart, athletic, Rei?

Usagi was cut out of her thoughts once she realized she hadn't been watching where she was going and walked straight into a wall instead of through their hotel room door. She rubbed her nose back and forth as it turned red. "_Itai!"_ She wailed as her nose burned. _"Gah, I hope Mamoru doesn't see what I just did!"_ She thought as she rubbed her nose.

But Mamoru turned around and saw that Usagi had run into the wall and felt a really tiny small pull around his lips. _"Silly Odango-baka_." He thought, and continued to walk around the room.

"Enjoy your stay, Chiba-sama." The hotel employee bowed as she handed Kobayashi the two golden keys to their room, and he smiled. "Thank you, Momo-san." He said, and she bowed again, her long red hair covering her now smiling face, before she disappeared out the door.

Usagi ran over to the window. "Wow!" She exclaimed as she looked out. "You can see the sunset and the springs and _everything_ from here!" She exclaimed, and grabbed Shingo, pulling him over to the window. "Shingo-kun, look!" She commanded, and he squirmed in her grasp. "Lemme go, _baka_! I don't wanna look!" He protested, but Usagi didn't let go as her cerulean eyes were already focused majorly on the scenery in front of her. _"Maybe Mamoru and I will share a romantic moment there!"_ She giggled as she stared at the small, private area a little far from the springs, covered with dark green trees and a direct access to the sunlight or the moonlight, depending on what day it was.

Shingo watched as the teenage girl giggled loudly for no apparent reason and tried to pull away. "Let me go!" He yelled, and she finally snapped back to reality. "What?"

"Let me go! I don't wanna see the scenery!"

"But it's so pretty, Shingo-kun!" She whined, and he gritted his teeth. "No way! I'm not a girly girl like you, I don't wanna see it!" He protested, and he swung out of her grasp, twisting her hand in the process. "_ITAI!"_ Usagi squeaked, and rubbed her wrist. "That hurt, you annoying little _chibi!_"She yelled, and he stuck his light red tongue out at her. "Deal with it, _baaaaaaaaka!"_ He retorted, and she pouted. "Meanie," She whispered underneath her breath and continued to stare at the beautiful scene outside.

"Usagi-chan, let's go into the hot springs outside!" Saori exclaimed excitedly, and Usagi nodded. "Okay!"

Fifteen minutes later, Usagi and Saori were resting happily in the female part of the hot springs while Mamoru, Shingo, Kenji and Kobayashi were sitting across the brick wall, in the males area. Usagi sighed in relief as she patted her face with a towel and turned to Saori, who was happily resting against a rock. "It's so calming, isn't it?" Saori gently asked, and Usagi nodded. "Yeah!"

"Kobayashi!" Saori called out to the other side as she looked at her fingers that looked like wrinkling prunes, "Ken-chan! How are you guys doing over there? Are the springs nice?" She asked.

"_Haiii!_" Kenji replied happily, "It sure is relaxing, Saori-san! I can feel my troubles literally floating away!"

Saori and Usagi laughed and then the black-haired woman hatched an idea. She floated over to Usagi, who was fixing her ponytails that were almost loosening up from the way she previously fixed them up so they wouldn't get in the water. "_NE,_ USAGI-CHAN!" She yelled loudly to make sure that Mamoru could hear her. "YOU HAVE SUCH CREAMY WHITE SKIN!"

Usagi blushed at the compliment but couldn't help but wonder why she was screaming. "_A-Ano,_ thank you, Auntie, but why are you yelling that so loudly-"

"AND YOUR HAIR IS SO SILKY!" Saori yelled, starting to rub her golden hair gently, and Usagi sweatdropped. "Auntie Saori, w-why-"

"AND YOU WANT TO GIVE ME A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS SINCE YOU THINK I'M LIKE YOUR MOTHER? OH, USAGI-CHAN, YOU'RE SO KIND AND GENEROUS!" She screamed, wondering if Mamoru could hear her.

Usagi's jaw dropped as she turned tomato red. "Auntie Saori, I never said that-"

"AND SUCH A WONDERFUL FIGURE! YOU SHOULD SHOW THIS TO MAMORU ONE DAY!"

"EEP!"

Kobayashi, Shingo and Kenji sweatdropped as they heard Saori's screaming compliments about the girl she wanted her son to end up with. Mamoru, however, started to massage his temples again as he felt his migraine re-trigger.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It doesn't matter what obstacles will be there in the future...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_  
"Mamoru, how come you haven't touched your food?" Saori demanded, pointing at his untouched plate of chicken stew. "Ever since we came back from the springs, you've been acting like a mime! Not speaking, not doing anything, and now, not eating?"

Usagi looked up from her cards and set them on the table they were playing Old Maid on at Mamoru, who silently got up, opening his mouth for the first time ever since they left the springs. "I think I got overheated in the bath," He said as he got up, his face remaining expressionless. "I'm going to go outside and cool up a bit." And with that, he slid the door of their hotel room and walked out, closing it with a bit of a slam before leaving. Usagi wondered why it seemed as if there was a tense feeling around him, as if he were an egg, right on the verge of breaking.

"Wait!" Shingo's voice rang out, and he got up. "I'll come, too, _Onii-chan!_" He exclaimed, but was pulled back down by Saori's arm. "Lemme go! I want to go with _Onii-chan!_" He protested, but Saori's grip was strong. "Oh, no, my little son!" She chirped, "You'll catch a cold out there!" Saori then turned to the other blonde, smiling widely. "Usagi-chan, why don't you go out there and take a little walk with Mamoru on the beach?" She asked, giggling a little here and there as she spoke, ushering Usagi up to her feet and trying to push her out the door.

Usagi pursed her lips, wondering if Mamoru would think she was a stalker if he found her outside, but then nodded and grabbed her jacket, heading out the door.  
Once she reached the bronze-painted elevator, she pressed the down arrow and entered it, pressing the "G" button. The tan doors closed and she felt the elevator take her down. _"Why was Mamoru all quiet?"_ She wondered, biting her lip. _"He didn't talk after our little conversation in the elevator...could it be because of me?" _Her teeth dug deeper into her bottom lip, and she could taste a little bit of blood trickling out. She gasped and stopped biting it, slowly raising her right hand and softly touching it, stretching it out to examine the small spot of red on her index finger. She shook her head. _"It can't be me. Even though he doesn't hate me, he probably thinks of me as a nothing. A burden."  
_  
She realized that she had already reached the beach shore and stopped, gazing out at the dark blue waves in the outstretched sea. The full, pure white moon was radiating silver, beautiful rays of moonlight out into the sky and towards the area, and she felt soothing energy pulsing through her. It felt even more calming than the hot springs, and she didn't even shudder at the cold breeze engulfing her in its' grasp. _"If I'm such a burden, then why am I going to meet up with him?_" She asked herself in her mind, and was about to turn around to leave when she saw him sitting near the waves. _"He looks so unhappy._" She thought, and started to walk over to him, noticing that Luna was curled up in his lap, quietly sleeping as he stroked her back, staring blankly out at the waves.

"Let me guess," He began as she walked over to sit next to him, "My mother sent you to come out here."

Usagi felt a tint of pink color her cheeks, and she turned away, fuming. "What? I can't come for my own concern for you, Mamoru-_baka_?" She demanded, and he shrugged. "I just thought you'd be stuffing your face, Odango."

Usagi huffed angrily, and then slowly leaned forward to get a better look at his face and pursed her lips. "Are you all right?" She asked, and he didn't respond. She sighed and then looked up at the moon. "_Ne,_ Mamoru?"

When he didn't respond, she decided to go on. "Isn't this where Princess Serenity met Prince Endymion?"

Mamoru smacked his head with his palm, turning to look at her for the first time ever since his sudden change in behavior after leaving for the springs. "Geez, you still believe in those old fairytales?"

Usagi shook her head at him back and forth quickly, her ponytails cascading over her face. "It's not a fairytale! Don't you know the tale? " She demanded, and looked dreamily back at the moon, propping her head up on her wrists, not giving him a chance to answer. "Princess Serenity was the princess of the Moon while Prince Endymion was the prince of the Earth. Princess Serenity was a beautiful maiden with a heart of pure gold, her golden blonde hair often nicknamed as 'the angel's halo'. Everyone who had the pleasure to meet her instantly loved how kind she was, like her mother, Queen Serenity, and was amazed by how bubbly and enchanting her personality was. Prince Endymion, on the other hand, was a bit hard on his people, but was fair in judging. He was so brave all the knights were jealous, and his looks so handsome all the maidens fell for him and even nicknamed him 'black-haired beauty'. Yet his heart was never captured by any of the maidens. One day, though, Princess Serenity was allowed to come to Earth and, though the two were opposites in lots of ways, they spotted each other here and fell instantly in love. There was also a full moon, like now!" She sighed happily as she clasped her hands together. "Isn't that a wonderful story?"

Mamoru looked at her in disbelief as she was staring upwards, her shiny blue eyes sparkling with wonder, love, happiness and pure adoration at the moon. This girl was truly unbelievable. All she had in her mind were complete daydreams about romance and a happy outlook on life. Didn't she ever worry about the bad things in life?

He shuddered at the sudden breeze that swirled around him, and of course, this caught Usagi's eye. "Are you cold?" She asked softly, starting to take off her jacket. He shook his head, and she paused for a moment, but then he sneezed lightly and she started to shrug her bright blue jacket off of her shoulders. "Here," She stretched out her arm towards him, her jacket in her hands. "Wear it. You're cold."

Mamoru shook his head again, feeling that if he took it, she'd freeze. _"Not that I care,"_ Mamoru thought, _"But she's so small...I don't want her to get a cold._" He shook his head. _"Because if she got a cold, I'd never hear the end of it from my family._" He quickly added in his mind, and shook his head for the fifth time to Usagi. "I don't want it!" He said, but she got up and, despite his protests, covered him in it, and he could feel himself feeling much more warmer and Luna snuggling further into his lap, the small cat happy with more warmth surrounding her. He could also smell her scent which was now radiating out of her jacket- vanilla and strawberries. "Odango, aren't you-"

"For some reason," She looked up at the moon again, knowing what his question was going to be, as she'd heard it many times before. "Whenever the moon is full, I feel so toasty warm inside. It doesn't matter if it's winter or if it's summer. I just feel a nice and warm feeling inside me that makes me feel as if there is so much love in the world at the moment, and it reminds me about how beautiful life is." She inhaled deeply, feeling the crisp, clear air fill in her lungs. "And it always reminds me life is always filled with mistakes, but that's why we have so many years to live it. So that we can try again tomorrow." She smiled at him, her cerulean eyes shining happily, and he shook his head in disbelief. "You're such an optimist, Odango." He said, and she surprisingly didn't argue back. She just got up and started twirling around, her knee-length, flowy skirt and ponytails fluttering in the breeze as she did. "That is true!" She exclaimed happily as she twirled around, kicking off her shoes and starting to dance around in the sand barefoot. She then tripped over her shoes and fell in the sand, breathing deeply again to smell the pure air. Mamoru felt the corners of his mouth pull slightly upward as he watched her, and slightly chuckled. "You're right, Odango. Life is truly beautiful."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~As long as they can love each other now...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Usagi set down Mamoru and Shingo's laundry and started to look through Mamoru's things, thinking in her mind that Jadeite-sempai would NOT be right! His thoughts of Mamoru moving out were NOT true! Mamoru was gonna stay forever in the Chiba household! …...Right?_

_Suddenly, a white booklet fell off of his desk and Usagi recognized it as the sheet of paper that he had tucked away so she couldn't see when she came in to tell him of the springs trip they were having. She picked it up and started to read the black ink printed on it. "Low-rent apartments...?" She asked out loud. "Part-time jobs...?"_

"_Oi, what are you doing?" The sudden voice startled Usagi, and she jumped, dropping the booklet in the process. "G-Gomen!" She apologized to Mamoru, and picked up the laundry stack. "I was just here to-"_

"_Did you find what you were looking for?" He asked coolly, and she blinked. "A-Ano, no! I wasn't looking for anything!" She started to hang their laundry in the closet they shared, continuing to talk as she did, "It's just that Sempai told me you were asking him about where he lives, how much his rent is, where to get part time jobs, and he was telling me that you had thoughts about moving out. Of course," She sweatdropped. "Jadeite-sempai _is_ rather silly, so I guess-"_

"_He was right." Mamoru responded, and sat at his desk. Usagi dropped the laundry she was holding and turned around. She suddenly knew why he was acting so strange a week ago. "N-No!" She almost screamed, and ran to him, trying to prevent her eyes from releasing tears. "You're lying!"_

"_I'm not," He simply stated, and then got up and walked towards the door. "You dropped some laundry, Odango. Pick it up." He added, and then walked out. _

"Usagi-chan!" Saori's worried voice rang out as Usagi entered the Chiba household, looking really tired. "What's wrong? Why are you home so late? Were you at a party? Why-"

"I'm sorry." She whispered, and Saori was ataken back by the usually-energetic girl's suddenly quiet voice. "I think I'll just go straight to bed." She said, and walked up the stairs as Saori watched her in shock.

Usagi closed her eyes, remembering vividly what happened a few hours ago as if it happened two seconds ago.

_Usagi's eyes widened as she watched Mamoru and Rei walk past the same gate, laughing as they did, walking into the same door and into the same shrine. It had been exactly two and a half weeks since Mamoru had moved out of the Chiba household, claiming that his living there had made him "living a comfortable and sheltered life". Thanks to Jadeite-sempai, though, she was able to find out where Mamoru was working as a part-time waiter- a family restaurant called "Manchuku Bubble Tea Garden". However, just when she thought she could see Mamoru at the restaurant as much as she wanted, her happiness took an immediate U-turn. Hino Rei turned out to be working as a part-time waitress at the exact same restaurant, having the same shifts as Mamoru. As Usagi had tried to find out where he lived, though, she found Rei and him laughing as they walked into the same shrine. _

"_Impossible..."_ She thought, sinking down into her bed miserably._ "Why would Mamoru be living with Rei-san?" S_he wondered, and felt her heart sink, remembering how happy they looked together._ "I guess...it's really time now, for me to give up on Mamoru."_

The next morning, Kobayashi and Shingo's jaws dropped as they watched a bag-eyed Usagi walk clumsily to the breakfast table, a tired smile plastered on her face. "U-Usagi-chan?" Kobayashi asked, his brown eyes wide in shock. "Are you all right?"

Usagi's laugh sounded as if she was half-drunk- a nervous giggle yet a large burst of laughter. "Why? What's wrong with me?" She asked, and Shingo blurted out, "YOU LOOK LIKE A ZOMBIE!"

Saori walked in from the kitchen, quickly covering her mouth with her hand, gasping as she watched the girl who she loved like a daughter walk more clumsily than usual towards the dining table. "Usagi-chan!" She gasped, and hurried to her side, feeling her forehead and staring at her. "You've got huge circles underneath your eyes, a slight fever, and the rims of your eyes are all red! What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Usagi laughed again, and everyone stared at her. "I just haven't been sleeping well lately, I guess..."

Saori rested her hands on her shoulders, extremely worried. "Why don't you take the day off from school?" She asked, and Usagi shook her head. "I'm fine!"

"Well if you start feeling sick, get Mamoru to escort you home!" Saori exclaimed, and Usagi felt her heart fall at the mention of his name.

"Ha!" Shingo snorted. "Show a creepy zombie face like that to _Onii-chan_ and he'll probably faint!" He started to laugh, waiting for Usagi to yell at him to confirm angrily if he called her a zombie face, but to his extreme surprise, she nodded, still half-laughing. "You're right!" She exclaimed, and Shingo's eyes widened. She wasn't arguing back? And she was AGREEING with him? "I have to be more careful...well, I'm off!" She slurred, and started to stagger clumsily out the door.

"What about breakfast, Usagi-chan?" Kobayashi asked, and she waved her arm. "I'm not hungry!" She laughed, and walked out.

"Is she okay...?" Shingo asked, and Saori, nodded pursing her lips in worry. "I don't know. She's been acting rather depressed lately...I wonder what's wrong?"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~There are too many things...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_  
"WHERE'S CHIBA MAMORU-KUN?" A shrill voice demanded as the door burst open, and everyone turned around to see a fuming, long-haired blonde with a red bow in her hair, a pissed-off looking brunette whose medium hair was tied in a tight ponytail with a green rubber band, and a short-haired blunette who looked a bit shy yet a little angry as well as her comrades, all standing in the doorway.

Mamoru turned around to see the three. He recognized the blonde and the brunette from Usagi's class last year when he tutored them, and the blue-haired girl he recognized as one of the girls from Class B last year. He never remembered their names, though. "What is it?" He asked, and that seemed to make them even madder.

"C'mere!" The blonde yelled angrily, and the brunette nodded. "We got something to talk to you about!"

He sighed and got up from his seat, ignoring Rei's glare, which seemed to be screaming, "HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME?"

He walked over to the fuming trio, and they slammed the door after he walked into the hallway. "Who are you guys again?" He asked.

"We're Usagi's friends! An IQ of 200 and you still don't know who we are?" Minako growled, and he shrugged. "I try not to retain useless information."

Ami and Makoto had to keep Minako from lunging at his throat, yelling about how she "didn't understand how Usagi had loved such a bastard for five and a half years".

He sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Why did you three come to see me, again?" He asked, trying to get them back to the point.

"It's all your fault!" Minako yelled at him, pointing a beautifully-manicured, orange-painted finger-nail accusingly at him. "Because of you, Usagi-chan hasn't been eating or sleeping! Have you seen her lately?"

He felt his stomach turning a bit, and remembered that he had felt this way when Usagi had given her his jacket at the hot springs, and how he worried she would get cold. Was this that new feeling? Worry? He shook his head. He didn't care about her. "It's not like I'm her bodyguard or something, that I see her everyday. And why should I care?" He turned around, but Minako stopped him from advancing away. "It's all your fault, Chiba!" She repeated, and his hands flew up in the air. "What the hell did I do, you fool? Just tell me!" He muttered something under his breath about this being why he didn't deal with stupid people. Minako lunged at him, again, but Makoto held her down, signaling Ami to take over, as their "goddess of love" friend obviously wasn't doing a rather good job.

The blue-haired girl walked over to Mamoru, her eyes filled with worry and anger. "Usagi-chan said you moved out of the household, and she missed you dearly. But when she saw you and Hino Rei-san walk into the same house, her heart was immediately broken, Chiba-san. She knows you said you don't hate her, but she truly thinks you love Rei-san since the two of you are living together..." She looked away, remembering how upset Usagi-chan was and how sleep-deprived and how _thin _her face was...

Mamoru was confused for a moment. _"Living with Rei? When did I start living with- OHHH. I get it."_ One and one clicked together in his mind, and he started to mess around with the girls' minds. "So should I tell Usagi that I truly love Rei and that I think _she _is the most biggest annoyance in the world?" He asked.

Ami's face turned red and she started waving her arms. "N-No! Usagi-chan's pretty sensitive! Then again, she needs to know..." She tapped her chin with a blue fingernail, thinking. "Well-"

"Look," Makoto finally spoke up ever since they picked up Mamoru, and was still trying to prevent Minako from maiming him. "He might have to tell her so that she can give up on him." She turned to Mamoru. "Just tell her the truth. It's driving her nuts, and we can't stand to see her in this kind of pain anymore. She's fainted twice while we were walking in the hallways, already, and she's not sleeping nor eating. We want her to be healthy again. I don't give a rat's ass on whether she's important to you or not, but she's one of the most important things and is very dear to us."

Mamoru turned away, a little bit surprised by how they cared so deeply for Usagi. "Whatever." He walked away.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~That they want to complete together...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi leaned against the wall, hoping that Jadeite-sempai wouldn't get mad at her for skipping out today's practice. She wasn't in the mood for getting hit by tennis balls or seeing Mamoru or Rei's faces. She looked around at the guys walking around campus, and she thought of each one inside her mind. The first one to stand out was a sandy-haired tall guy with bright red eyes. She smiled at him when he turned to her, and he smiled back, revealing a gold tooth and a creepy look. Usagi's eyes widened and she shook her head, looking away from the creeper and immediately being reminded of the creep Mamoru saved her from on her first day of school after moving into his house. _"Okay, no._" She thought, and looked at her left, where a large, muscular brown-haired guy sat on the bench, staring at her, steam fuming out of his nostrils. Usagi blinked back and looked away quickly, scared that her stare would piss him off. "_Nope." _She thought, and was reminded of Mamoru's fit body while looking at him. "_Ugh, I gotta stop thinking about him!"_ She thought angrily, and then saw a short, black-haired (_"That's a lot of hair gel,_" Usagi thought) guy with thick black glasses. His lips were humongous and he looked over at Usagi from a book he was reading. Usagi shuddered and looked away from him. _"A creepy otaku. NO."_ She sighed and then looked in front of her.

A tall, fit, raven black-haired man was walking towards her, his midnight blue eyes mesmerizing. "_Oh, he's cute..._" Usagi thought as she clasped her hands to her chest, and then realized it was Mamoru walking towards her. _"WAHH! IT'S MAMORU!" _She gasped and grabbed her bag, rummaging through it as if she were doing something before he arrived. "_A-Ano,_ h-hi-"

"Haven't seen you around in a while." Mamoru clearly responded, smiling a bit, and leaned against the wall next to her.

"Y-You know, I should probably get g-going-" Usagi tried to tie her bag around her shoulder, but her ponytails were getting in the way, and Mamoru stopped her. "Don't be such a stranger," He said, and Usagi turned lava red. "At least stay here while I wait for someone."

Usagi nodded, cleared her throat, not knowing what to talk about, and then looked at him. "So...how's the place where you live?" She squeaked, and he smiled, ready to tease her. "Well, it's very roomy and spacious." He replied, and she nodded, remembering how big the shrine was.

Usagi pursed her lips and nodded. "Is it fancy?" She asked, images of him and Rei sitting in a fancy dining room, eating together happily. "It's not much, but yeah, it's nice."

"How do you get your food?" She asked, worried that he may not be eating enough. He _did_ look a big more thin...

"Sometimes I'll eat at the restaurant, sometimes I have dinner made for me."

Usagi's eyes widened. "M-MADE FOR YOU?" She yelled, and he nodded, trying to prevent himself from bursting out in laughter by how ridiculous she looked right now.

Usagi, though, shook her head. _"M-Maybe he has his own personal chef?"_ She wondered, and asked another question- "Is it lonely living all by yourself?"

"Not really. It's actually pretty quiet without Ma breathing down my shoulder and you and Shingo constantly bickering." Usagi pursed her lips as she remembered how annoyed he would get when she and his brother argued over the T.V., over the last piece of pie, and even over who would get to play the last video game. "But I'm with Hino-san most of the time."

Usagi felt her heart sink. "H-Hino-san?" She whispered, automatically thinking of Rei. "_Of course he'd be with Rei...what am I to him?"_ She felt tears well up in her eyes, and blinked, feeling them trickle down her cheeks. "So I guess you and Rei-"

"Mamoru-sensei!" A chipper voice rang out, and Usagi looked up. A sandy brown-haired girl came running up to them, her reddish-brownish eyes gleaming happily as she waved her hand. "Sorry I'm late!"

Mamoru shook his head, smiling. "It's nothing, Natsumi-chan. It's only two minutes."

Natsumi giggled and then turned to Usagi. "Oh, is this Usagi-san? I'm Natsumi." She said, and Usagi blinked. "H-How do you-"

"Your facial expression is just like _Onee-chan_ [big sister] and Mamoru-sensei described!- Clueless and stupid!"

Usagi fumed. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?" She demanded angrily.

Natsumi stuck out a pink tongue, winking as she did. "_Onee-chan_ told me all about you."

"S-So, your elder sister is..." Usagi felt her heart scream. "No..."

Rei popped up behind Usagi. "Me." She smirked, and Usagi's eyes widened. "No way! You're her older sister?" She demanded, and Rei nodded. "Duh."

"But you l-look nothing alike!" She yelled, and Rei and Natsumi rolled their eyes, murmuring "What a _baka_" at the same time.  
_  
"Same personalities, however."_ Usagi thought angrily while sweatdropping.

Natsumi held onto Mamoru's arm and started to rub it lovingly. "You know, Usagi-san, Mamoru-sensei is my home tutor." She said, and Usagi blinked. "H-Home tutor?"

"Yeah! He's tutoring me for the exams so I can apply here next year." Her dark red eyes gleamed happily at her tutor. "He comes over three times a week!" She turned to Rei. "_Ne, Onee-chan,_ is Usagi-san your rival?" She asked, looking back at her elegant sister and clumsy Usagi. Rei nodded, and Natsumi shook her head. "You've fallen pretty low." She murmured, and Usagi turned angry. "HEY!" She yelled, and Natsumi stuck her tongue out again.

But then one and one clicked in Usagi's mind, and she suddenly jumped up in the air. _"YAY! MAMORU'S FREE AFTER ALL!" _Her mind screamed, and she jumped around, dancing happily as the Hino sisters and Mamoru stared at her.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Only time is too little...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi shuddered as she walked through the heavy snow, hoping that soon it would end. But her wishes were obviously not answered, and, if not worse, the blizzard got worse and she fell back in the snow, shuddering. "Today's Valentine's day!" She exclaimed angrily as she brushed the snow off of her coat. "Is this God's way of stopping me from giving my Valentine's chocolate to Mamoru?" She yelled up at the sky, and the snowstorm raged some more, slapping her in the face with a fierce breeze filled with unforgiving, tiny yet fast specks of harsh snow.

Two days had passed since Usagi found out the truth about the whole Mamoru-living-with-Rei thing, and she had made chocolate for him today, the most romantic day of the whole year. She didn't know where he lived, though, and she didn't find him at school, so she was heading towards Manchuku Bubble Tea Garden to give it to him.

Finally, she found the restaurant's gleaming name out of all the snow, and smiled faintly as she started to fight through the falling snow and burst through the doors. "_Konnichiwa_!"

"Welc-" Rei spoke but then realized who it was. She sighed and walked over to Usagi. "How many?" She drawled, and before Usagi could open her mouth, she spoke for her. "Oh, one, right? How romantic, coming to a restaurant on Valentine's day alone." She laughed, and pointed at an empty table to Usagi. "There's your table." She took out a notepad. "What'll you have?"

"One coffee." Usagi growled, and Rei turned around. "Oh, and if you're here to give chocolate to my Mamoru-kun, then that's too bad. He's coming to my house today to tutor Natsumi. It's too bad, hmm?" She cackled and walked away, leaving Usagi in utter disbelief. "_Damn it! Then why'd I walk all the way over here in the snow?"_ She wondered angrily, and Mamoru appeared with a cup of coffee. "Here you are," He said, and Usagi smiled as she reached for the chocolate she made for him in her bag. "_Ano,_ Mamoru-" She began, but he walked away. "Sorry, I have work." He simply said, and Usagi sighed as she raised her cup to her lips to drink the sweet brew.

A few minutes later, Usagi raised her hand. "R-Refill, please!" She exclaimed, and Mamoru walked over to her. "This is your sixth cup in ten minutes. Are you sure you want a refill?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, and she nodded frantically, handing him her cup. He shrugged and poured more coffee in it. "You should go home; you don't look so well." He said, but she shook her head, her ponytails cascading over her face. "I'm fine!" She exclaimed, and he walked away.

Suddenly, Usagi felt her stomach starting to hurt like it did last year, when she dropped Mamoru off at the Tokyo University entrance exam, except not as painful. "W-What?" She whispered, clutching her stomach, and got up, trying to run towards the bathroom.

"So that's one chicken stew, one sushi, one bubble tea, and-" Mamoru was re-checking a few customers' orders but then heard some people shouting, asking if a certain someone was alright. He had a certain feeling that it was a certain odango, and though he wanted to finish repeating the customers' orders and ignore it, he couldn't, and pocketed his notepad and pencil. "Excuse me." He apologized to the customers, and rushed over to where the crowd was, wondering what the Odango did now.

**A/N:**** BEFORE I GET ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT: **_**YES, NATSUMI IS ANN FROM THE MAKAIJU PART OF THE SAILOR MOON R SERIES! **_**She's the only other girl in Sailor Moon that I could think of that liked Mamoru but ended up with someone else in the end. Sheesh. And I have no reason why I chose "Natsumi" instead of "An." I guess Natsumi sounds prettier. And when Ail comes, his name will be "Seijuro." NOT AIL. **

****According to Google, ¥4050 is about $50, so Mamoru's like :O! Yes, that little girl trapped in the tree was Chibi-Chibi and her mama was Galaxia. Since Chibi-Chibi is her star seed, I made Galaxia call her her "little star". Yes, I'm cheesy. Haven't you noticed? XD And yes, Luna's forehead mark is a shade of **_**light blue**_**, and it's not a perfect crescent moon, because then it would've sounded weird in a non-fantasy story if a dark cat showed up and had a yellow, perfect-shaped moon on their forehead. **

**But yay, this was a big chapter :D And it was ended at a cliffy xD Sorry it took a little while to upload; I wanted to make sure I had NO mistakes this time (even after editing a thousand times, though, I'm **_**SURE**_** there's a few mistakes hidden somewhere...) :D**

**Review please? I worked **_**really**_** hard on this chapter!(: **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:**** YAY! I'm sooooooooo glad you guys liked the previous chapter! :D Thanks for all the lovely reviews and following this story! 66 reviews and 70 subscriptions! *dramatic sob* You guys rock! **

**Speaking of reviews...almost all the reviews for Chapter 9 were about how you guys were hating on Mamoru. Wow XD Poor guy, so many people hate him :P But you guys are right, it kinda is his fault for playing with Usagi's heart. The meanie head.**

**But don't you worry; he's bound to get jealous sooner or later [;**

**Sorry this took a while to upload; I'm working on another story that is a one-shot called "Lemon Pies", and that's taking a looooong while!**

**By the way, in case some of you don't know, "Oyasumi" means "good night". Mamoru says that to Usagi in this chapter, and I wanted to make sure no one got confused with that. Also, "oba-sama" means "Auntie". Usagi still calls Saori "Auntie", but I wanted to write "oba-sama" since it sounded kinder for much reason. Much more kinder than "Auntie". XD**

**Enjoy Chapter 10! :D I'm 1% confident that you guys will like this chapter ^^''**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS OR SAILOR MOON!**_

**Chapter 10**

"Are you all right, miss?" A concerned female voice asked, and Usagi's eyes fluttered open. "W-What?" She asked, and sat up, her half-wet-from-the-snow ponytails falling from her face.

A waitress with flaming red, bushy hair and the manager, a partly rounded man, like Uncle Koba, with thick blonde hair and glasses, were staring at her face with great concern, and she looked around, sitting in what seemed like a hospital bed, a soaking wet towel on her forehead. "W-What...?"

"You fainted." A familiar voice spoke, and she turned around to see Mamoru standing in the corner, his arms crossed, not looking at her. "I told you not to have those six cups of coffee in ten minutes, now, didn't I?"

Usagi nodded, and felt her stomach pain gone. "_Domo arigato gozaimasu_ for taking care of me!" She smiled at the waitress and the manager, who grinned back. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused!" She hopped off the bed and started to put on her coat, scarf, and bag, ready to leave. She should've known that she couldn't give Mamoru his chocolate today, and that she should've just given up. Perfect Rei, who was amazing in every single way, had probably won his heart by now.

"It's not a problem." The manager said, and then turned to Mamoru. "Mamoru-san, she's an acquaintance of yours, right? You know where she lives?" He asked, waddling over to his employee, and Mamoru nodded, both him and Usagi seeing where this was going. "Why don't you drop her home? To make sure she makes it safely? It's quite a snowstorm out there, and she had just fainted!"

Usagi waved her hands, afraid that she would make Mamoru once again angry with her constant being with him. "It's all right!" She said, trying to stop the manager. "I can get home by myself! It's really close!" She lied, knowing that home was a good twenty minutes away, and then an extra ten minutes to take the train.

"Oh, no, it's all right. Mamoru, your shift for today can end now, and you should go escort this young lady home!" He smiled, and Mamoru sighed. "Fine. Come on, Odango, let's get you home."

Usagi silently followed Mamoru as he took his jacket off the employees wardrobe, and pursed her lips. "Mamoru...?" She asked, scared to finish the rest of her question. "_A-Ano,_ you're mad, aren't you?"

Mamoru sighed. _"Did she seriously just ask me that?"_ He thought, and then turned around, hoping that what he would say would shush her for a while. "Yeah, I'm angry!" He put on an angry face, and Usagi backed away, upset. _"I knew it,"_ She thought. _"I am just a big nuisance to Mamoru."_

She sighed and followed him as they walked out of the restaurant and into the fierce snowstorm, feeling the snow starting to slap her face almost as hard as the glare Rei had given her when she realized her Mamoru was walking out with her ditzy, dumb rival. Usagi was now really scared of her priestess rival.

Mamoru ran towards the sidewalk, trying to wave down a taxi. Usagi watched him struggle in the snow and ran up next to him, trying to help get a ride. Once a taxi stopped in front of their snow-covered vision, Usagi opened the door, but the driver started screaming angrily at them.

"NO!" The driver screamed. "IT IS TOO COLD AND SNOWY ALREADY! SHUT THE DOOR! I'M NOT DRIVING _ANYBODY!_" He yelled, and drove off as Usagi slammed the door. "FINE!" She yelled, and then shuddered at how cold she felt, despite her heavy snow jacket.

After a few unsuccessful moments of trying to get a taxi, Mamoru huffed, his breath emitting a small puff of hot air into the breeze. "Odango, this is no use. Let's just go to the train station."

"B-But..."

"What?"

Usagi bit her lip, scared that he would get even more pissed off than his murderous look right now. But she couldn't not tell him. "When I came over here by train, they said that the passengers behind me were the last group that they were going to transport, and then they were going to close due to the snow." She looked down at her watch. "They're probably closed by now, since it's been a while since I was last there..."

Mamoru stared at her. "Then how did you plan on getting back home?"

Usagi tapped on her chin with a gloved finger. "Hmm..." She blinked for a moment. "I actually hadn't thought about that..."

Mamoru smacked his forehead. "My God..." He muttered, and then looked around. "Well, if what you say is true, then the bus station is most likely closed, too. I guess then I have no choice." He shrugged, and Usagi cocked her head to the side, one of her ponytails almost dipping into the snow. "What's that?"

"I'll have to take you to my place."

Usagi's face burned a deep red, and she felt that if her face touched the snow, all of it would immediately melt. "W-What? You and me going to where you're living?" Her heart gave a leap, but she felt deeply embarrassed.

"_Baka._ I mean that I'll take you to my place, and then call my mother to pick you up." He rolled his eyes, and Usagi looked down. "Oh" was all she replied with before she started to follow him towards his residence.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And she says...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi looked over to him as they rode in the elevator in silence. Both of them were dripping wet as they entered the lobby and entered the elevator from the heavy snowstorm, receiving many stares from people they passed by, as Mamoru was in too much of a hurry to get to his apartment and call his mother to get Usagi that neither of them had bothered to brush the snow off their coats or their hair. Had it not been for their colorful snow coats and scarves, both of them would end up looking like yeti.

The elevator chimed as it announced their arrival to the sixth floor, and the two got out, remaining silent as Mamoru took out the small bronze key, inserted it into the door of apartment number 612, turned it, and opened the door.

The two walked in, and Usagi stared at how clean it was. "Wahh!" Usagi exclaimed as she looked around, taking notice of how tidy it was.

"Quit gawking," Mamoru simply said as he took off his jacket, but Usagi pouted. "How can I not gawk? It's amazingly tidy!" She started to twiddle her thumbs. "Does Rei-san come and clean it for you...?" She mumbled, and he shook his head. "No, you're the first girl here." He replied.

"R-Really?" Usagi half-whispered, and he nodded. She had to bite her lip from screaming, "HOORAY!", but she just couldn't help herself and brushed her feet playfully against the polished wood flooring, clutching the chocolate she made for him in her bag tightly with her hand.

"How's your stomachache?"

Usagi stopped her dancing. "E-Eh?"

"How's your stomachache?" He repeated, and then she remembered the whole reason as to why she was here. "Oh, it's much better now."

"Don't drink that much coffee that quickly, okay?" He warned, and she nodded. "S-Sorry," She mumbled, and then half-screamed as a soft, purple item was thrown at her. "AHH! MAMORU, SAVE ME!-"

"_Baka, _it's a towel! Open your eyes!"

Usagi opened her eyes and then felt the item on top of her head. "O-Oh." She stuttered, and then took it off, drying her head with it. "Thanks," She mumbled, and he shook his head, sighing. "I'll go call my mother."

Usagi watched him as he walked over to the telephone and started to dial the Chiba household number. She then held the towel near her face and smelled it, inhaling his scent happily.

"Hello?" He asked, and Usagi could feel her heart sink. _"My current happiness'll only last until Oba-sama picks me up, won't it?" _She thought, and then sighed.

"Yeah, she came to see me at the restaurant," He spoke into the other of the telephone, and Usagi hoped that she didn't scare Auntie Saori too much with her not arriving home on time. She looked up at him as he continued talking. "Nonetheless, she ended up with stomach pains and fainted."

Usagi could hear loud shrieks emitting from the phone, and Mamoru had to move his ear a few inches away from it so that he wouldn't go partially deaf from his mother's shrill voice. "Yes, yes, she's _fine._ Ma, please stop yelling!"

But the worried Mrs. Chiba would not stop yelling. She knew no one had any idea as to how scared she had felt for Usagi not returning home, feeling as if the girl she loved like a daughter was somewhere lost in the reckless snowstorm, alone and scared. She started screaming thanks to God that she had been safe all this time with her eldest son, and not lost forever.

"Anyways, she's with me at my apartment, so will you please come and pick her up? I'll give you my address, and-" Mamoru was cut off by Saori's giggling. "W-What? No, Ma, come and pick her up! Wha- What do you mean, you don't feel like it? Hello? HELLO?" Mamoru started yelling into the phone, but was answered by a dial tone. He slammed the phone against the receiver angrily. "DAMN IT! She hung up on me!" He yelled.

Usagi blinked. "W-What?"

"She said she doesn't want to come out into the blizzard and pick you up."

"S-So what now?" Usagi asked, scared. _"Is he going to throw me into the streets?"_ She thought, but he shook his head. "I guess now you're going to stay here for the night."

Usagi flushed red. "W-WHAT? B-B-But then I-I'll h-have-"

"Yeah, she'd kill me if I left you outside in the cold. Besides, I'll feel bad for anyone who's forced to be with you if I left you outside."

Usagi pouted. "Hey! I'll have you know-"

"So," He cut her off, getting up to walk over to a brown door, pointing to it as she stared at him, shocked that he actually interrupted her. "You go take a shower while I go out to get some food. I'll take out some pajamas for you, too. They're rather big for you since they're mine, but they should be fine for now."

"But I'm not hungry!" Usagi replied, scared of him freezing to death out there. She didn't want him to be frozen, and she didn't want to be alone in this apartment, either. But her stomach started to growl angrily, as if it were disagreeing with her. She angrily clutched it, wishing it would just shut up, but it screamed for food, demanding that Usagi feed it immediately. Mamoru raised an eyebrow, and she shook her head, watching as he took a pair of red and white pajamas and gave them to her.

She pursed her lips as Mamoru shook his head, wearing another jacket that was dry and headed for the door. "No. I'm going to the nearby convenience store to get food. Otherwise, your stomach's growling will keep me up all night, Odango."

Usagi looked to the side, ignoring the tantrum her stomach was throwing, upset and scared that she'd be alone and that he might freeze.

She heard the door close and she sighed as she got up and walked over to the brown door, closing it slowly as she watched the snowflakes gently fall down from the window across the hall.

Meanwhile, fifteen miles away, an ecstatic Mrs. Chiba was dialing a few numbers on her home phone as she giggled madly. She put the phone next to her ear and silently prayed that _he_ would pick up.

"_Moshi moshi, _Kenji-sama's restaurant. How may I help you?" A familiar voice asked, and Saori nearly jumped out of her seat on the couch happily, thanking the Gods as her bright turquoise eyes gleamed with pure happiness. "Hello? Is this Kou Seiya-kun?" She asked with a sweet voice.

"Yes, this is. Who is this?" Seiya asked, wondering who on Earth was calling him at such an hour.

"Chiba Saori."

"Ah, Chiba's mother. How can I help you?"

"Seiya-kun, does Ken-chan happen to be there?"

"Dad? Oh no, he's rather busy right now."

Saori gritted her teeth at how he called her future daughter-in-law's father "Dad". But she shook her head, deciding to ignore it. "Oh, that's too bad," She said in a sad voice. "Well, can you tell him Usagi-chan's not coming home tonight? He shouldn't worry, though."

"Eh?" Seiya asked, confused. "How can you say that? My poor Usagi! She's probably lost, alone, with nowhere to-"

"No, no, it's all right! She's actually staying over at Mamoru's place tonight, because I don't want her to get stuck in the blizzard on the way over here. So she'll stay there tonight. Will you tell him that?"

There was a brief silence for a moment on the opposite end, and then an ear-piercing, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" screamed through her phone, which gave in much to her constant giggling.

Back at Mamoru's apartment, Usagi walked out of the bathroom, looking around if Mamoru was back yet. The apartment was quiet except for her beating heart, so she folded up her old clothes and hung them on one of the lounging chairs. "Ahh!" She sighed happily as she gently dried her hair, which was open and not in it's usual odango hairstyle. "I feel so refreshed!" She told herself, and then brushed a hanging golden lock of it behind her shoulder, watching the snow as she did.

Usagi felt warm in the red and white pajamas, smelling Mamoru's scent- a type of rosy yet spicy smell- sneak up to her nose and tease her with its' presence. She sat on the lounging chair and leaned forward towards the window, watching the snowflakes gently dance in the air, as if they had wings, and then finally lay into the ground. She smiled gently as her eyelids lowered a bit and yawned a little, scratching her head as she did. She felt her golden hair fall over her face and she let her eyelids droop downwards, covering her eyes completely. The sudden door opening made her jump in her seat and she turned around, seeing Mamoru holding a bag with some takeout in it. "Oh, thank God! I thought it was someone else!" She replied calmly, and he shook his head. _"Baka. _I'm the only one with the keys. Who else would come in here, Odango?"

Usagi pouted. "My name is not Odango, Mamoru-baka! How many times must I tell you? My name is Usagi! U-SA-GI. Like a BUNNY!"

"Yet you don't like carrots."

"So?" She demanded, and when he didn't reply, went on. "My personality is cute and jumpy and my odango hairstyle is like bunny rabbit ears! It's not like I _have_ to like carrots, right?"

"You're definitely not cute," He told her as he took out soy sauce from the bag to add into his noodles, ignoring her jaw dropping. "And since you have an odango hairstyle, why not just call you Odango?"

Usagi groaned and then grabbed the other box of food from the box, immediately digging into her sushi as she was too hungry to reply back to him.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Meeting the right person is a kind of fate...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Ahh, that was good!" Usagi smiled as she closed up the box that used to have her food and threw it into the trash can. _"Arigatou,_ Mamoru!" She smiled, and he threw his box away, too, sighing. "Geez. None of this wouldn't have happened if Ma had come to pick you up." He said, and she felt her stomach sink. "Hehe. Sorry." She giggled, and then yawned. "I'm really sleepy..." She murmured, and he nodded, starting to walk towards his bedroom, her feet following his shifting feet the only sound in the whole apartment.

_"W-Wait!"_ Usagi thought, staring at the bedroom, where only one bed sat in the room. _"O-One bed only? Didn't he ever think about having guests over?"_ She sweatdropped, and then shook her head. _"I'll be polite."_ She stepped up to Mamoru as he started to take out two pillows from his closet for Usagi and himself. "Mamoru, I-I'll just sleep on the floor, and you can take the bed." She said as she smiled.

"Of course."

Usagi blinked. "W-What?"

"I only have one blanket, so you'll have to cover yourself with a coat or something." He said, and her cerulean eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?" She demanded angrily, and he turned to her. "You can take your old clothes that were soaked; they're probably dry by now, and you can use those to cover yourself on the floor." He turned around and started to walk towards his bed. _"Oyasumi."_

"WAIT A SECOND!" Usagi thundered, and he turned around. "What is it?"

"I'm the lady in this scenario!" She replied, her temper rising as she spoke, "As the man, aren't you supposed to say 'I'll sleep on the floor, you take the bed'? That's common sense, isn't it?"

"Why should I do that?" Mamoru demanded angrily, "Why should I give _you_ so much consideration?"

"Because I'm ailing! I'm in poor health; I had a huge stomachache!"

"But you're absolutely fine now, aren't you? You said yourself that you're feeling better, Odango! My God, I've never seen such an ailing person with such a huge appetite!" He said, and she fumed as angry shouts yelled from her lips. "WHY YOU- YOU'RE SO- URGH, YOU'RE SUCH A COLD-BLOODED MONSTER!" were among the many insults and screams that erupted from her mouth.

Five minutes later, Mamoru was laying on the floor with a pillow under his head, one of his still-wet jackets covering him. Usagi sat up on his bed with a warm fleece blanket and was scratching her head. "_A-Ano_, Mamoru, I feel kinda bad about this. Are you sure that it's okay that you-"

"You've got some nerve asking that after all that yelling and tirade," He replied, sweatdropping. "Just hurry up and go to sleep. I'm turning off the lights." He stretched his arm out towards the lamp and pulled down the switch, hearing a _click_ as the lights went out. "_Oyasumi._"

_"O-Oyasumi."_ came Usagi's shaky reply, and she looked around in the darkness, scared as to whether she should tell Mamoru about how she didn't like the dark, and how she couldn't see at all. She turned back onto her side, trying to shut her eyes tightly together, but then screamed, "AHHHHH!" once she heard a scary noise. "MAMORU, HELP! THERE'S A SCARY THING!"

"What is it?" Mamoru's grouchy voice came up, and the light turned back on. "It's just the wind!"

"I-I just can't sleep with the light off!" She whispered, and he smacked his forehead with his palm. "Well, _I_ can't sleep unless it's pitch black in the room!" He retorted, and Usagi's lower lip started to tremble. "B-But there are monsters out there! And g-ghosts! And-"

"All right, all right!"

The lights were kept on and Usagi could hear Mamoru grumble as he turned on his side, trying to fall asleep with all the light that helped _her_ sleep. She suddenly felt bad, and she leaned over the bed, facing his back. _"Ne,_ Mamoru." She didn't get a reply. "Mamoru." Still no reply. "Mamoru!"

"What?" He grumbled, and he turned around, his grouchy face facing her concerned one. "Are you cold?" She asked, and he rolled his eyes. "Of course I am!" He replied, trying to stretch his jacket onto himself warmly. She watched him struggle and suddenly felt a bit warm inside. She looked up at the window and saw the moon in its' waxing gibbous form- rather close to the full moon. She looked back down at Mamoru shivering and took off her blanket, handing it to him. "Here," She said. "It's a waxing gibbous outside, so it means it's close to the full moon, so I'll be fine."

He took it from her, and spread it over himself. "Wow Odango, I didn't know you could tell the phases of the moon." He snorted, but a bit worried about her becoming cold later into the night. She pouted at him. "Mamoru-_baka_," She whispered softly as she laid back onto the soft bed, and then closed her eyes. Then she turned around to him, seeing him sleeping on the floor. "Mamo-"

"WHAT?" Mamoru's loud voice surprised her, and she jumped in her spot. "A-Are you still cold?" She asked, fidgeting. "Of course I am!" He replied angrily, "I'm sleeping on the FLOOR!"

"Then let's switch spots." She said, ready to get out of the bed, but he didn't budge. "No. Just go to sleep." Usagi thought she heard a bit of pleading in the tone of his voice, but couldn't help it. "But I really feel bad about this..." She looked to the side, and he sighed as he sat up. "Okay, here's what we'll do. We'll both sleep in the bed."

"W-WHAT?" Usagi yelped as he sat down on the bed, covering the covers over her and himself. "Y-You know what? I'll just t-take the floor instead..." Her voice trailed off as she got up to slide off the bed, but he grabbed her arm, his navy eyes looking deeply into hers. "No. Everything'll be resolved if you just stay here. That way, both of us will be warm and we can both sleep soundly." He said, and then let go of her arm, which she swiped away and then, after a few moments of silence, laid back down.

"Could it be that you're nervous?" Mamoru asked teasingly, and Usagi started to sputter. "N-Nervous? No way! I-I'm just-"

"Because you know," He leaned in, his face so close to hers she could almost see her reflection in his eyes. "You're spending the night with _me._ Things may happen out of the blue." He said, and her face turned bright red. "T-Things?" She stuttered, and he nodded, leaning in closer. "Maybe a kiss?" He asked, and Usagi could feel her breath quickening. "Or maybe even something _more_ than that." His voice added in a whisper, and she could've sworn her heart stopped for a moment.

"But," He turned around, his back facing her red face. "Sorry to say, nothing of that sort will happen tonight."

Usagi sweatdropped. _"He's in bed with a girl but he's not going to do anything?" _ She wondered as she turned away from him too, pursing her lips, her eyes wide in shock. _"COULD IT BE THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT...THING THAT GUYS HAVE?'"_

She shook her head. _"No, no, I'm sure he has...um, that _thing_. MAYBE HE'S GAY! Wait, no...maybe I'm just not pretty enough..."_ She immediately thought of Rei, how pretty she was and how Mamoru, of course, would've been attracted to a girl like her. _"That's it. I'm just not attractive or beautiful enough for the one I love-"_

"Oi, are you disappointed?" His smooth voice asked, and Usagi started to shake her head quickly. "N-No!" She half-lied.

"I just don't want to fall into my mother's trap," He said, and pulled a little bit more of the covers towards him. "I mean, if something _were_ to happen tonight, then she might use this excuse to control my whole life. She'll try to control what I become when I grow up, where I want to shop, all those kinds of things that _I_ might want to think for myself. So you'd better stop hoping and start sleeping!"

Usagi had to admit, he had a point. She could already imagine Auntie Saori exclaiming what she wanted Mamoru to do every moment of every day. She sighed, and pulled a bit more of the covers toward herself as she shuddered. "I thought you were gay." She whispered, and Mamoru sweatdropped. _"Really..._" He thought, smacking his forehead, and then shook his head. "Just go back to sleep."

Usagi smiled, tucking a golden lock of hair behind her ear as she replayed Mamoru's words in her mind. _"I'm so happy,"_ She thought, _"He really doesn't hate me! I really don't want to fall asleep, with him by my side..._" But with that, she dozed off.

About 8 hours later, Mamoru blinked and felt something kicking his stomach. He blinked and wondered if he should check, and then turned to his side, where Usagi's foot was right at the tip of his stomach as the rest of her body was sprawled across the bed, her hand near his face. He sighed, annoyed, and reached out, taking her light hand and moving it slightly away from his face, towards her chest. He looked up at her and noticed how serene her face looked, despite the fact that her foot was partly kicked into his stomach, the other hanging off the edge of the bed along with her arm, and her other arm buried into her chest, thanks to him. Her golden hair that wasn't in its' usual odango-ponytail style was falling over her face perfectly, her eyelids were covering those energetic cerulean eyes that had so much joyfulness in them, and her pink lips were opened slightly as she gently snored. _"How on Earth can she sleep so soundly?"_ He wondered, and sighed as he turned over on his stomach, trying to get back to sleep not long before his alarm started screaming for him to get up. Usagi's arms started to wave back and forth as she screamed, startled by the sudden noise, and she accidentally smacked Mamoru in the face as he tried to get up. "Watch it, Odango!" He grumbled, and she bit her lip, trying to speak. _"G-Gomenasai!"_ She apologized, and he shook his head and walked away from her. Usagi sighed as she scratched her head. Of course, even after their little chat last night, his feelings wouldn't still change.

She glanced over at her bag and saw the box of chocolate that she had worked so hard on. The red ribbon she had tried to tie delicately on the top, the chocolate she had tried so hard not to burn. She sighed and then took it out of her bag, and placed it underneath the lounging chair. She wanted him to have it, but didn't want to see what he ended up doing with it.

Twenty minutes later, Mamoru left the apartment complex, Usagi following him ecstatically, neither of them realizing the crowd around a certain man who had seemed to be frozen in the snow storm the other night. He seemed completely frozen and a bit hurt, but from his cloud-white lips, the words "My poor Usagi" kept coming out, his dark blue eyes filled with sadness as the crowd kept asking what had happened, and assuring him that an ambulance was coming. "I couldn't save you from Chiba..." were the last things he whispered before he completely blacked out.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I cannot disagree that girls need to know their standpoint...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"So, you two will be fine together?" Saori's worried voice asked, her turquoise eyes blinking in concern, and Usagi simply waved her hands. "We'll be fine, _Oba-sama_!" She replied carelessly, and Saori nodded.

Uncle Koba, Auntie Saori, and Kenji were all leaving to go to one of Kenji and Kobayashi's school friend's wedding, leaving Shingo, Usagi, and Luna alone with the house for three days until they came back. Shingo, of course, opposed this idea and wanted Mamoru to come back while the adults were gone, not wanting to be alone with Usagi, as he was too scared that she'd end up burning the house down. Usagi, however, claimed that it was a silly idea (though she wanted to see Mamoru, too), and that she would take care of the three of them carefully.

"All right." Saori nodded, and kissed Shingo on his forehead and hugged Usagi tightly before waving as she reluctantly got into the taxi, which drove off. Usagi turned to Shingo, her eyes shining. "So, Shingo-kun! What do you want for dinner?" She asked brightly, and he bit his lip. "I think ramen." He said, and she pouted. "Don't be silly! Who eats ramen in a cup for dinner? Come on, what do you want?"

An hour later, Shingo was sitting at the dinner table, staring at a plate of-what Usagi called it- chicken stew as Usagi was watching him with a hopeful expression. He blinked and sat motionless as he pursed his lips, wondering whether if he should eat it or not. Then, slowly, he picked up his fork and dug it into the chicken and rice, lifted it to his mouth, opened it, and dumped the food in it. He then closed his mouth and started to chew it, trying to ignore Usagi's hopeful look. "Well?" She asked, her eyes gleaming. "Is it good? Shingo-kun, tell me! Is it edible?"

Shingo swallowed, the taste not that bad. In fact, it was better than the last time she cooked. The chicken tasted a little burnt, but it was actually edible and a bit tasty. "Yes." He whispered, and she jumped up and down, her hands clasped together. "Really? Yay!" She held up a finger to his face, her expression extremely happy. "Then I want you to finish it! _All_ of it! No leftovers, okay?" She asked, walked over to the kitchen to give Luna her cat food, and then started to wash the dishes. "See, I told you, Shingo-kun! My food isn't that bad!" She chimed, and he shook his head as he started to eat the rest. _"Why, oh why, was I stuck with her for three days...?"_

Once Shingo finished and ran up the stairs, Usagi took his plate and started to wash it, glad that she had, for once, made something delicious and not non-edible. She hummed happily and then set the dishes to dry, turned off the light, and put Luna's blanket on top of her so that the kitty would sleep soundly. "Cute sleeper," She whispered, and then headed up the stairs to Mamoru's-now Shingo's- room. She knocked gently on the door. "Shingo-kun! You can take the shower first, I need to do a few more things!"

When there wasn't a reply, Usagi blinked in confusion. "Shingo-kun, are you ignoring me?" She asked, and there was complete silence. "All right, I'm coming in!"

Usagi pushed the door aside and saw Shingo kneeling on the floor, clutching his stomach in pain as sweat trickled down his face. "SHINGO!" She screamed, and ran over to him, glancing over at the pile of throw-up a few feet away from the two. "What's wrong?" She asked, but he just shook his head. "S-Stomach!" He replied, his face turning a bit red. "It hurts!" He wailed, and fell down, more sweat falling down his forehead.

Usagi felt her breath quicken, and didn't know what to do. _"I can't run to the doctor's office with Shingo in my arms,"_ She thought to herself, _"And he's throwing up. I don't want to leave him so I can go call an ambulance, because that'll take longer, and he may be long gone by then, and I don't know which hospital to go to...oh, God!"_ She bit her lip as her crazed thoughts and questions raced in her mind madly, and then turned to Shingo, who was throwing up a second pile on his right side. "Wait for a moment, Shingo!" She told him, and then raced out of the room, grabbing the home phone and dialing the phone number that immediately came to her mind.

_"Ne,_ Mamoru-san." A voice called out to Mamoru, and he stopped cleaning the table he was at, turning around to see his boss. "Yes?"

His boss reached out his hand, the phone in it. "There's a girl on the phone for you. She sounded very scared and said it was urgent."

Mamoru nodded, said, "Thanks", and took the phone, walking over to the "Employees only" area as he raised it to his ear. "_Moshi moshi,_ this is Chiba."

"M-Mamoru!" Usagi's worried voice rang throughout the phone, and he was a bit startled at the fact that she was calling him at work. Especially at this hour, when he was about to leave. "What should I do?"

"Usagi?" He asked.

"S-Something's wrong with Shingo!" Her voice stuttered. "W-What should I do? It's a-all my f-fault!"

"Listen to me, calm do-"

"It's all my fault!"

"CALM DOWN!" Mamoru couldn't help but yell, and the other end was silent. He took a deep breath. "Tell me clearly and properly. What happened to Shingo?"

"W-Well, he finished his dinner about half an hour ago, and started to have a stomachache. He's thrown up twice ever since." Her voice started to break even more. "I-It must've b-been the f-food I c-cooked..."

"Did you eat it?"

"Y-Yes..."

"And you seem fine, so it means something else had caused his pain. Tell me his symptoms."

Mamoru listened as Usagi tried to list Shingo's symptoms, and then he cleared his throat. "It may be appendicitis. But listen to me. First, lay Shingo on his side so that none of the vomit gets lodged in his throat or lungs, all right?"

"Y-Yes."

"Then, call an ambulance and tell them to get you to Juuban Hospital. That's where our family doctor is, and so they can look at his medical records and figure out what's wrong with him faster than another hospital. I'll try to get there as soon as I can."

"O-Okay."

"Usagi."

"Yes?"

"Please take care of Shingo."

"I will!" Usagi said, hung up the phone, and raced to where Shingo was.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You need to aim at the person you want...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Mamoru dashed down the halls and ran into the elevator, slamming the circle that said "5 - Pediatrics" in bright yellow letters, his breath quickening by the second as he thought of what he was told an hour ago. _"Had Usagi done what I told her to?"_ He wondered, a bit scared that something had gone wrong. _"Oh God..."_

Once the silver doors had opened, he ran out to the front desk, panting heavily. "Excuse me, where is Chiba Shingo?" He asked, and the secretary looked down at the white sheets in front of her, flipping through them as he stared impatiently. "Chiba Shingo...he's in surgery right now."

"WHAT?"

"Yes, on the second floor-"

Mamoru didn't hear the rest, he just dashed back towards the elevators before the doors closed and rammed his fist at the "2 - Surgery" button, wiping the sweat off of his forehead as he watched the arrow turn down to the second floor. When the doors opened again, he ran out towards the front desk again, but no one was there.

He whipped around and saw a nurse carrying a clipboard and ran over to her. "Excuse me, my last name is Chiba-"

"Oh, are you a relative of Chiba Shingo?" She asked kindly, and he nodded frantically. She turned around and gestured that he follow her. "His surgery has already finished. I'll get the doctor who was in charge of the operation to talk to you." She started to head down the hall and he followed her to a small office, where a doctor with black hair and thick glasses sat, reading some papers.

"This is Chiba-san," The nurse told the doctor, "He's one of Chiba Shingo's relatives."

The doctor nodded and turned to Mamoru as the nurse closed the door. "The surgery to clear the obstruction was very successful, so there's no need to worry." He said.

"It was an intestinal obstruction?" He asked, his eyes widening, and the doctor nodded. "But the treatment he received before the ambulance reached his home was very good, and it helped him a lot. But he'll need to stay at least three weeks for recovery."

Mamoru nodded. "Thank you." He said, and the doctor smiled as Mamoru walked out the door. He took a deep breath and then turned to the nurse. "Excuse me, where's the girl who brought my brother?"

"She's taking care of him, in room 202." She pointed at a room down the hall. "She's all alone and must be very anxious."

Mamoru nodded. "Thank you." He said, and walked down the hall to the room the nurse indicated, where "Chiba Shingo" was written on the placard slid inside. He pushed the door aside, revealing a certain odango sitting in a chair, her expression extremely worried, and another laying in the bed, sleeping.

Usagi blinked as if she was almost asleep and looked up to see him standing in the doorway. "Ah, Mamoru!" She exclaimed, and he walked in, looking at his unconscious little brother on the bed. "How's he doing?"

"He's still under anesthesia," She responded as he took the other chair in the room and pulled it up to the bed, watching his brother. "So he's still asleep."

"They told me it was intestinal obstruction. I can't believe it," He said, shaking his head. "For the first time in my life, I didn't know something. It felt...so...weird..."

"It's all right!" He heard Usagi chirp. "There are some things in life we can't always know, Mamoru!"

He turned around, facing her. "You know," He said, smiling a bit. "The doctor praised you a bit just now, saying that the way you treated Shingo before the ambulance came was very helpful."

Usagi blinked, her cheeks turning a bit red. "O-Oh, well, I was just following your instructions, because I didn't know what to do, so the credit is actually _yours_, Mamoru!" She smiled, and then gasped. "Oh, I still have to inform _Oba-sama_ and the others about this!" She exclaimed as Mamoru noticed her hands trembling. "I'll go and make a phone call!" She turned around to head for the door.

"Usagi." Mamoru got up from his seat, and she immediately froze in her tracks as she checked her pockets and started to wipe her quick tears with her already-drenched sweater sleeve.

"O-Oh no...I forgot the number of where they're staying, and my phone and purse are at home...I really am stupid-"

Usagi silenced at once when Mamoru walked right up to her, put his arm around her shoulders, and leaned forward so that his mouth was right next to her ear. His arm moved up a bit and his hand was right above her head. "Thank you, Usagi." He whispered in her ear, and her eyes widened as more tears welled up in them.

"M-MAMORU!" She turned around and flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I-I was s-so scared!" She sobbed as her face was half-crushed against his chest, wanting a hug so badly. "S-So scared!"

To her surprise, he didn't push her away or yell at her. Instead, he whispered, "Shhh". Mamoru caressed her head gently, trying to calm the sobbing blonde down, "It's all right now." He told her softly.

He continued to calm her down, and Usagi couldn't help but let out all the tears she kept in when she called the ambulance, when the doctor told her that he needed surgery, and when she noticed that Mamoru had arrived.

_"This is the first time Mamoru said anything kind to me..." _She thought, continuing to cry in his arms. _"The first time using his arms to embrace me like this, and at this very moment, all my worries and anxieties have been relieved by it."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~No longer want to wait?/I'll send you my lips and be yours...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Shingo's eyes twitched for a moment and he blinked, his teal eyes confused for a moment as to where he was. The last thing he remembered was Usagi's crying yet calm face smiling at him, assuring him that they were almost there, and that he would be all right. He briefly remembered her hugging him, too, and he felt a small blush coming onto his cheeks, then shook his head. He looked up and saw Usagi sitting in a chair a few feet away, sleeping. He rolled his eyes. "Careless_ Odango-baka."_ He whispered softly, but knew that if it weren't for her, he probably would've been in much more pain.

He took a deep breath and tried to get up, but pain shot through his stomach and he sunk back into his sheets, his half-open eyes watching the lifeless pale-white room. He sighed and let his eyelids sink back down, hearing only his heart beating in the whole room. He turned on his side, sighing. His stomach had been hurting a lot less than before, but he could still feel that awkward feeling he had earlier lurking around in his stomach.

The door suddenly opened, and he heard someone walk in. He heard that person walk by his bed and set something on the table beside his bed. Shingo wanted to see who it was, but didn't want that person to know if he was awake or not if it was a nurse or a doctor. He didn't want to know what was wrong with him, whether it was good news or bad news!

Suddenly, a familiar voice muttered, "The cute, over-worried _odango-baka_," and Shingo felt his heart leap. _Onii-chan!_

"_On-"_ He started to turn on his side to face him, but then was immediately silenced as he realized what was happening.

Mamoru was standing, leaning forward towards Usagi. Shingo watched quietly as his older brother bended down towards Usagi and kiss her gently on her lips as she slept, and Shingo's turquoise eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropped. He blinked and his felt his breath quicken a bit, extremely surprised by what was happening.

Mamoru turned around, noticed that Shingo had just seen what happened, and lifted a finger to his lips in a "shh"ing gesture, winking. Shingo could feel his face burn red and he nodded frantically. Mamoru chuckled and sat in the chair next to Usagi as Shingo turned on his side, his mind scrambled by the recent events. _"W-What? Did Onii-chan...did Onii-chan just kiss Usagi?"_

**A/N:**** YAY! :D More romance and a cliffy~! (: Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter(: Sorry it's such a short chapter...-_-''**

**Review pleaseeeeee? :D **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:**** YOU GUYS MAKE ME SO HAPPY WITH YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! Once I got the first few reviews for Chapter 10, I immediately sat down and started to work on this chapter after I got back from the movie theater watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (WONDERFUL MOVIE!), neglecting the fact that I need to update the rest of my fanfics, which are probably somewhere in the dust of my Google Docs Fanfic folder...hm...**

**Special shout-out to ****JiLLiAN2548!**** She is actually the reviewer who thought of the whole sweet-bun moment in this chapter, so I take no credit for it whatsoever! Thank you for suggesting such an amazing idea! :D You rock!(:**

**And to make this clear: Yes, Seiya was the guy who was frozen in the snow in the previous chapter. He's just a poor soul madly in love, isn't he? ):**

****ANNOUNCEMENT: I keep getting private messages from people saying that I keep "changing the story" or "deleting parts from Ita-Kiss" or something similar, and let me remind you: ****the storyline is a mixture of the "Itazura Na Kiss" manga, the anime, the show "It Started With A Kiss", and my own imagination. So some things will be added to the original, and some things will be removed or changed. So please stop constantly filling my inbox with complaints.**

**ANYWAYS, I'm just blabbing on here, now. *sob* You guys are too kind for me! THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING/FOLLOWING/FAVORITING! **

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS OR SAILOR MOON!**_

****OH, please read this announcement! The following paragraphs below were supposed to be in the end of Chapter 10, but I forgot to write them in. Oops. Sorry! **

_Mamoru walked over to Usagi, tapping her lightly on the shoulder, awakening her from her sleep as he gestured her towards the door. She glanced over at the sleeping Shingo and then nodded, following him out the door and into the hallway of the hospital, which was surprisingly empty. She looked around for the doctors and nurses or even some patients, but not a sound was made. She turned to him._

_ At first, his back was to her, but it was clear that he was speaking to her. "You're always telling me that you love me and such," He said, now turning around, watching her. "But, do you know _my_ true feelings?" _

_ "W-What?" Usagi stammered questioningly, a bit confused as to where his question was going, her face turning tomato red. "W-Well, you don't feel anything for me, b-because it seems a-as if you never show y-your true feelings, or-"_

_ "Baaaka!" He said, turning fully so that his face could fully face hers, and she pursed her lips. He walked over to her, his face a mere inch away from hers. He raised his right hand and put it on her cheek, his navy eyes locking with her bright cerulean ones. "You've got it wrong, Usagi. Actually, I..." He never finished his sentence as he leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips, her eyes widening in shock and happiness. _

"_I don't believe it!" She thought, her head reeling a little bit as she replayed the recent moments over in her head. "It-It's-"_

"IT'S OUR SECOND TIME!" Usagi screamed, but then blinked to see that she was still in Shingo's hospital room. Shingo was on his side, facing the other wall, so she assumed he was still sleeping, and Mamoru was sitting in the chair next to her, sleeping as well. "A dream...?" She whispered, and then sighed unhappily. "Of course..."

"_But..."_ She thought, gently touching her lips. _"There's some sort of sensation left on my lips...what could it be...?"_

**Okay, NOW Chapter 11 will officially begin! Enjoy!****(:**

**Chapter 11**

Usagi watched, annoyed, as the two Hino sisters gushed over Shingo in the hospital room, obviously trying to catch Mamoru's attention in the process. It had been two weeks since his admittance, and he had moved from the second floor to the 5th floor to rest. Since Usagi visited him everyday, though, they, of course, found out and tried to win the love of the guy they both had a crush on.

"Sorry we didn't come earlier, Shingo-kun!" Rei and Natsumi said together in extremely sultry voices, but it was obvious that they were both speaking to Mamoru, as they would not let their eyes off of him. Mamoru smiled at them as they gave each of their huge bouquets of flowers to Saori, who watched them, her expression much more annoyed than Usagi's. "Oh, it's no problem at all, ladies," He replied smoothly, and Usagi rolled her eyes as they sighed dreamily at his voice. "Did the two of you come down together?"

"No, we came separately," Rei's tone of voice immediately turned to bitter, her amethyst eyes glaring at her younger sister's dark red ones. "We just happened to run into each other back at the information desk."

"Yes," Natsumi agreed, her tone of voice changed as well, her eyes watching her older sister sharply as she flipped her red hair over her shoulder. "What a coincidence." She added icily. "Because I mean-"

"URGH, TOO MUCH COMMOTION!" Shingo yelled, and then turned to Mamoru with big, hopeful eyes. "_Onii-chan,_ will you start tutoring me now, please?"

"Sure, Shingo," Mamoru smiled and sat in a chair next to his little brother's bed, opening up his science textbook to a layout of the solar system. "Today's topic in science is the solar system. Now, all the planets-"

"Ah, Shingo-kun!" Natsumi hurried over to Shingo's bedside, bending over to him. "Is your older brother teaching you about the solar system? It must be boring to have him constantly teaching you. Why don't you have big sister Natsumi teach you?" She smiled sweetly at the little boy.

"Oh, Shingo-kun!" Rei instantly appeared right next to her, trying to push her aside. "Don't listen to her, I'm the eldest of the two, so I could obviously teach it better than _she_ could! What do you say?"

"Isn't 5th grade science a bit too hard for an old woman like you to remember, _Onee-chan?"_ Natsumi asked bitterly, and Rei's jaw dropped. "HOW DARE YOU?" She shrieked. "WE'RE ONLY ONE YEAR APART, YOU-"

"SHUT UP!" Shingo's irritated voice exclaimed, and a nurse hurried in, her eyes blazing. "YOU, YOU, AND YOU!" She pointed at Usagi, Rei and Natsumi, and then at the door. "OUT!" She barked, and Usagi's expression became angry. "B-BUT, I HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING!" She retorted, and the nurse crossed her arms. "Well you did, just now! OUT!" She started to push the three out, but then a small voice interrupted. "Please don't have Usagi-san kicked out, miss nurse."

Everyone turned around and saw a small boy sitting in the bed a few feet away from Shingo's, his short, silver-white hair covering his blinking eyes, which were producing really tiny tears. "Don't kick out Usagi-san, miss nurse!" He repeated, and the nurse's eyes softened a bit as she looked at the pleading little boy's expression. "But-"

"Every time Usagi-san comes in to visit Shingo-chan, it feels so lively in this room, and I actually forget about my condition. Please?" His emerald green eyes expressed his sadness, and the nurse sighed. "All right. BUT!" She turned to Usagi, her expression sharp. "ONE MORE PEEP, AND YOU'RE OUTTA HERE!"

Usagi nodded frantically. _"Hai!"_ She agreed, a bit glad and watched as the nurse pushed the annoying, glaring Hino sisters out the door. Usagi then turned to the little boy. "How are you feeling, Yoshiya-chan?" She asked, and the little boy just shrugged, his expression still sad. "My teachers from my school called me. They told me that since I've been in the hospital for six months, I have to repeat fourth grade since I'm so behind. But they don't understand how bad my kidneys are..."

He turned away, more tears welling up in his eyes. "Shingo-chan, you're so lucky to have such a loving family. A cool older brother to tutor you, a caring mother to take care of you, an energetic older sister to make everything so happy..."

"She's not my-" Shingo began, but immediately shut up when he saw one of his new friends crying. "Why didn't you just ask for help, then, Yoshiya-chan?" Mamoru asked, "We surely would've helped you with your studies." But the little boy just shook his head, his white bangs loosely falling over his face. "I was scared that you wouldn't help, just like my parents. They rarely see me here, and I get very lonely..."

Usagi felt tears gather up in her eyes as well and she flung her arms around the little boy's shoulders, hugging him tightly to her chest. "Oh, Yoshiya-chan! Don't cry!" She wailed, and then slammed her fist on his bedside desk. "Don't worry! I, Tsukino Usagi, will make sure you will _not_ fail! I myself will tutor you!"

"Don't be such a _baka_!" Mamoru shot at her, speaking to her for the first time in days. "I doubt you could solve a 4th grade math problem!"

"W-WHAT?" Usagi retorted, her face fuming mad for a moment, but then lowered her voice as she remembered the nurse's previous warning. "Of course I can, Mamoru-_baka!_ What makes you think I can't?"

"You didn't know what the verb was in the sentence 'the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog'! What makes you think you can do 4th grade division problems?"

"Oh, so you think _you_ should tutor Yoshiya-chan?"

"Of course! There's no way _you_ could do it!"

Shingo watched as his mother clasped her hands together joyfully at the scene of the two endlessly bickering, and then turned to Yoshiya. "I'm sorry, Yoshiya-chan. Usagi is just a _baka_, so don't mind her."

Yoshiya laughed lightly, though, his emerald eyes sparkling. "It's okay, Shingo-chan. You have no idea that I actually haven't had this much fun in so much time."

Shingo smiled back, and Mamoru appeared by his bedside, bringing his and Yoshiya's desks near him, starting to tutor the both of them as Usagi fumed angrily in the corner, muttering angrily underneath her breath.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and there stood Seiya, his eyes wide open. "I KNEW IT!" He yelled in shock, pointing at Mamoru, his dark blue eyes wide. He then noticed Usagi standing in the corner, her arms crossed, and ran to her, his arms wide. "Oh, my Usagi!" He exclaimed, and then hugged her tightly. "You're all right!"

"Seiya?" She asked questioningly, and he nodded. "You still remember who I am!" He said happily, and she raised an eyebrow. "W-What? Why wouldn't I? And what are you doing in the hospital?"

"Oh, I was just discharged due to my frostbite..."

"Your WHAT?" Her eyes widening in shock.

"Nothing!" Seiya quickly said, and started to caress her hair lovingly. He didn't want her to know that he was out in the snow during the snowstorm for a whole night, but over her shoulder, he glared at Saori, who just shrugged her shoulders, her expression extremely carefree.

"But, I KNEW IT!" He pointed at Mamoru, who seemed to be already annoyed by his argument with Usagi and now the arrival of her lovesick idiot who kept pointing at him. "What the hell did I do?" He demanded.

"I knew you were in this hospital! No wonder I've been feeling worse for the past two weeks!"

Mamoru smacked his forehead, knowing this would be a tough and chaos-filled week at the hospital.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Say that you love me/Say that you care...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"38.2° Celsius," The nurse stated as she looked at the thermometer she had placed in Yoshiya's mouth seconds ago. "Yoshiya-kun, it's because you stayed up all night playing with friends when you really need rest. You know you get a fever whenever you get overexcited or run around. You know I'm always telling you that. Please be more careful." And with that, she walked out of the room.

_"Gomen,_ Yoshiya-chan," Usagi apologized, feeling terrible that the day Shingo was going to be discharged from the hospital, she had made Yoshiya-chan suffer even more with her stupid mind. "Me and my terrible ideas..." She whispered, looking down, her ponytails covering her face.

"Oh, no, Usagi-san!" Yoshiya had a smile on his face, but Usagi could tell it was a forced one. "I'm used to fevers, and I had so much fun last night! That was the best playtime I've ever had in so long!" He said, remembering how last night, Usagi suggested that they give him a chance to see the outside world by taking him on a wheelchair and showing him the beautiful hospital garden. She also said that Mamoru could teach him how photosynthesis or the rain cycle worked even better, and he finally agreed after her shrieking voice argued with him for what seemed like eternity. Usagi had also raced Yoshiya around in the wheelchair, much to Mamoru's disapproval, but Yoshiya didn't care. He had loved it, and felt so much happiness with all the love around. "Now that I think about it, ever since Shingo came in, it's been so much more happier here. Mamoru-sensei helps me study, big sister Usagi-san always doing silly things and making me laugh..."

Usagi smiled a bit, sweatdropping. "Well, I didn't mean to make you laugh, but I guess that's okay...?"

Yoshiya laughed, his slightly flushed face being covered by his white bangs. Shingo sadly walked up to him, placing a small piece of paper and an action figure in his best friend's palm shakily. "I want you to have this action figure, Yoshiya-chan. It's strong just like you." He smiled weakly. "And this is my address and my number. Send me letters and call me a lot, okay?"

Yoshiya nodded. _"Hai!_ _Arigatou, _and congratulations on being discharged, Shingo-chan! I'll come and visit you some time, I promise! I'll miss you a lot!" He smiled, and Shingo pursed his lips and blinked his teal eyes a few to prevent himself from crying, nodding.

Mamoru walked up to Yoshiya's bedside, smiling, his navy eyes surprisingly calm at the moment. "Yoshiya-chan, get better. If you ever need more help with tutoring, don't hesitate to ask."

"_Hai!_ _Arigatou_ for teaching me, Mamoru-sensei!" He laughed, and Mamoru got up, walking over to the door with Shingo. Finally, Usagi walked up. "Get better, Yoshiya-chan! Or else you won't get to see those, as they call it in English, butterfries again!" She said, and he blinked, confused. " 'Butterfries...?' "

"_Baka._ They're called 'butterflies' in English, not 'butterfries'." Mamoru's voice came from the door, and Usagi pouted, making Yoshiya laugh happily. _"Arigatou_ for making me laugh and taking care of me along with Mamoru-sensei, Usagi-san! I'll miss you and your odangos!" He laughed, his emerald eyes sparkling with pure happiness as Usagi giggled, letting Yoshiya pull on one of her ponytails once.

Usagi then hesitated for a moment, not knowing if she should do it or not, but then bent down to Yoshiya and hugged him tightly. She then kissed him on his warm forehead, patting him gently on his shoulders as she did.

She leaned back up and Yoshiya, despite his flushed face, was blushing and she grinned. "Get better, Yoshiya-chan." She repeated in a whisper, and he nodded again. _"Hai, _Usagi-san."

The three started to head out the door, and Shingo turned around at the last moment, tiny crystal tears streaming down his chubby cheeks. The whole time, Yoshiya wasn't crying at all, but now, Shingo could see Yoshiya's smile immediately fade to an unhappy look, and he started to cry.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fate is still every indeed meeting the right one...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Poor Yoshiya-chan..." Usagi whispered, and Mamoru nodded. The two were walking with tiny Luna between them. Mamoru had decided to stay at the house for a few more hours after leaving the hospital because they were having a family party for Shingo's discharge, and was about to walk home before Usagi started to follow him, claiming she'd drop him off at the train station. Of course, he couldn't disagree without getting into an argument with her and his mother, so he agreed.

"Yeah." He simply replied.

"He seems so little, but everyday he has to suffer through things like scary shots, freaky tests, icky medicine..." She looked down, her vision blurring a bit as her voice choked up a bit. "It's so sad that they can't eat as much of their favorite ice cream as they want, or play outside with friends..." She raised her arm to quickly wipe away her tears with her sleeve. "I just feel so bad for them!"

"You crying about it won't make them better, you know." He told her.

"I know, but still..." She shuddered as the October wind swirled around her, and then an idea hit her. Her eyes brightened a little as she looked up at him. "But, Mamoru, _you_ could do something!"

"Me? How?"

"You're a genius!"

"Are you suggesting I tutor sick people, Odango?" He asked, a bit confused by her logic, "Because that-"

"No, _baka!"_ She shook her head, her ponytails dancing back and forth, "You could invent new medicines, or become a doctor and easily heal the sick!" She clasped her hands together, her eyes shining brightly. "Then people like Yoshiya-chan would all feel better again, and they'd owe it all to you!"

"Hmm, so I'm a doctor now, Odango?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was just an example!" She pouted, "Because there's nothing you couldn't become, Mamoru!" She tapped her chin with her index finger, thinking hard. "You could become a surgeon, a pediatrician, an obstetrician, gynecologist..."

Mamoru chuckled lightly. "I'm not sure about those last two, Odango." He told her, and her cheeks turned tomato red. "Oh...right..."

A few moments later, Mamoru noticed that it was getting a bit too dark. He stopped walking and turned to Usagi, who seemed to be dozing off into space as she walked. "Oi. Go back home, Odango."

She stopped, too, but confused. "Why?"

"Because it's getting dark and I don't want you ending up at my apartment again," He said, "Once was enough."

She pouted, upset, "But that was eight months ago!" she said, but reluctantly agreed. "But...you're probably right. I should get home before _oba-sama_ gets too worried. Bye, Mamoru!" She exclaimed happily, and then turned around, skipping off back towards the Chiba household, a bounce in each of her steps.

Mamoru turned around to continue walking towards the train station, but then paused for a moment, looking off into the distance. _"The Odango will be all right walking home by herself...right?"_

A few minutes later, Usagi reached home, yawning and realizing how tired she was. She stretched her arms for a moment and then realized that the house was quiet, and she realized that it was quarter to ten on a Sunday night, so everyone had probably gone to sleep. She then walked over to the kitchen, reaching for a glass to get a quick sip of water before bedtime when she heard a noise from the door. She turned around and saw Shingo standing there, his lips pursed and his cheeks slightly pink. "Shingo-kun? You're still not asleep?" She asked in surprised, and he looked up at her. "Erm..."

"What is it?" She asked, blinking in confusion.

Shingo sighed. "You helped a lot..." He began, his voice quieting down with every word he spoke. "During my illness..." He gulped, and then quickly whispered, _"Arigatou"_ before hurrying away. Usagi smiled as she heard him stomp up the stairs. _"That little guy...he does have a cute side, after all!" _

She opened up the cupboard and took out a glass, now pouring some from the tap and starting to drink it. She then heard the door open and blinked. _"I thought everyone was home..." _She thought, and walked over to the door, where Mamoru was standing. "Mamoru?" She asked, and he nodded. "I think I left something here." He said, and looked around for a moment around the sofa, where he found one of his books that had been there for months. "Found it." He said, and then left the house immediately, leaving Usagi a bit confused. _"Of course the Odango would reach home safely,"_ He thought as he walked back towards the train station. _"Why on Earth do I worry so much about the stupid girl?"_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Say that you love me/Say that you care...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"And then, after dinner, Nephrite gave me a dark green ring that was so beautiful! Of course it wasn't real, but it was so shiny and amazing!" Makoto said, her green eyes sparkling, gushing happily about how she spent her three-month anniversary together with her boyfriend over the weekend.

The four friends were sitting on a bench near the gates of the university campus before school, talking about how they spent their weekends with their boyfriends. It had seemed as if Makoto, Minako, and Ami all had amazing weekends.

"No, wait, listen to me!" Minako waved her hands, her blue eyes excited. "Kunzite took me to an amusement park, and he won me a stuffed animal, saying it was proof of our love! He said that the name of it was Venus, because it brought us together even closer! Can you believe that? I just _love_ him!"

"Zoicite took me to a ballet!" Ami, who was always quiet about her personal life, suddenly blurted out, and the other two stared. The bluenette blinked, and then blushed a deep red. "H-He also bought me a small painting of an ocean, saying that his love was as deep and powerful as the ocean, and that, like the waves, his love for me would destroy any obstacles that would get in the path of our being together."

Minako and Makoto squealed happily, clapping their hands together. "_Ne, _Usagi-chan!" Minako turned to their other blonde friend. "Did _you_ do anything with Mamoru?" She demanded, and Usagi shook her head, suddenly feeling bad as she heard about her friends' love lives enviously. "Of course." She heard Makoto mutter under her breath, and she sighed, remembering the dream she had about Mamoru kissing her for the second time at the hospital after Shingo's surgery, and how she had wished it happened so bad. She touched her lips with her index finger again and turned around to her friends, who looked at her in true pity. "I should just give up on Mamoru, shouldn't I?" She asked, and they all nodded in agreement, happy that she would finally stop talking about the guy day and night. "But I can't..." She clasped her hands together, her eyes shining brightly at the clouds. "Because he's so unforgettable..." She whispered, and Minako and Makoto smacked their foreheads with their palms as Ami shook her head.

_"Ne,_ Tsukino Usagi-san, why don't you out with me, then?" A clear voice behind her asked.

Usagi slowly turned around and saw a boy with short, disheveled sandy-colored hair and cobalt blue eyes that stared at her eagerly. She blinked, her lips slightly separated. "W-What?" She asked, feeling as if she hadn't heard him right, and that she had just been hearing things. "Excuse me, but were you talking to _me_?"

"Yes!" He smiled, his eyes sparkling, "I'm Ginga Seijuro, a second-year, like you, but I'm in law. But everyone just calls me Sei-chan."

Minako's eyes widened and then hurried over to him, resting her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "Listen, pal. You obviously don't know about Usagi-chan. She's been loving another-"

"Yes, I've known of Usagi-san being in love with Chiba-san ever since high school; you don't have to remind me." He laughed, and Usagi felt her face heat up. "Then why are you asking me...?"

"Well, it's not like you two are actually going out, right?" His smiled widened, "So I figured, 'why don't I have a decent chance?' because if you could fall for _him,_" He ran his fingers through his hair, "Why not for me?"

Usagi blinked, her cheeks tinging bright red. _"He's really confident, isn't he?"_ She thought, sweatdropping, but noticed that he was rather cute. She then nodded after a few moments of silence. _"Hai!" _She exclaimed. _"If I date him, I'll _surely_ forget about that Mamoru-baka! Maybe that stupid idiot will even get jealous!"_ She thought, her eyes brightening at the idea of pure revenge.

"Great!" He said happily, taking her hands in his. "C'mon, let me walk you to class, Usa-chan!"

Usagi couldn't help but giggle at her new name. "_Hai_, Sei-chan!" She chirped, and the two started to walk past the bench, leaving Usagi's friends behind, ignoring their dumbfounded expressions.

"So, Usa-chan," Seijuro began, "When and where do you want to have our first date?" He asked, and she tapped on her chin with her index finger, her mind in deep thought. "Well, I have this Friday free, and I've always liked fun places, so-"

"The carnival!" He exclaimed, and Usagi nodded ecstatically, clasping her hands together happily. "I _love_ the carnival!" She exclaimed happily, and he laughed, putting his arm around her waist protectively. "Usa-chan, you're so adorable." He said, and she blushed, giggling as she rested her head on his shoulder as the two continued to walk out of the gates side by side together.

The next day, Mamoru, on the other side of the university, started to walk out of his classroom, slinging his bag over his shoulder in one full swing. It had been another usual day- Rei nor Natsumi never leaving him alone, be it in the hallways, tennis court, classroom or cafeteria. Every single moment they were breathing down his back, asking for advice or tips on assignments or homework, or constantly complimenting him on his tennis skills. Except it felt as if it were missing something.

He tried to think about the whole day's events and remembered that there were only two girls, both sisters, following him and pestering him all day. What about the third one? _"Come to think of it," _He thought as he walked, _"Odango didn't really talk much during tennis practice, did she?"_

He thought back and remembered that, even though she was picking up tennis balls that were constantly being hit towards her, she never spoke a word. Just a huge smile was on her face. Hell, she hadn't even _looked_ at him, not once. He had to admit that he thought it was a bit more quieter, it felt rather awkward to not have her constantly following him, asking him about his day or what his favorite thing about University was.

Then, he suddenly heard lots of giggling and turned around to see Usagi sitting on the bench near the University gates with a guy. He recognized the guy back from high school as someone was in Class 4-C and always flirting with girls. He watched as Usagi giggled as he would stretch his arm around her waist and whisper things into her ear, her bright blue eyes sparkling with bubbliness as he did. _"This is probably one of her attempts to get me jealous like she did with Sempai,"_ He thought, shaking his head, but still continued to watch the two of them with glaring navy eyes.

"Oh, Sei-chan," Usagi leaned her head against his shoulder, smiling as he patted her head, "I feel so happy," She told him, but couldn't help but think about what Mamoru would think if he saw the two of them together. _"Would he be jealous? Would he be happy that a stupid girl like me is finally off his shoulders...?"_

Usagi's smile faded and Seijuro turned to her. "Don't worry," He whispered, holding her face up in his hands, "I'll make you the happiest person on Earth. And besides," He reached into his bag, taking out a small, white, sweet-smelling pouch. "I got one of your favorite treats!" He exclaimed, smiling, and took out a large, steaming hot _daifukumochi_ [type of sweet bun] in his hand.

Usagi looked at the sweet bun for a moment, but then noticed a black figure at the corner of her eye. Mamoru! He was nearby! She gasped, and then another idea popped inside her head. A huge smile started creeping onto her face. _"Daifukumochi!"_ She exclaimed happily, and stretched across his lap, reaching for it as his arm stretched away from hers. "If you want it, then you're gonna have to reach for it!" He told her, and she pouted, upset. "That's not fair!" She complained, and continued to reach for it. Seijuro laughed, his eyes shining and amused by his girlfriend's innocence. "Odango," He called her softly, and Mamoru felt a little creature inside him kicking around his body. _"Did he just call her Odango?"_ He thought, and tried to continue walking away, but his feet were implanted into the ground and he continued to watch the rather cute pair together.

"Urgh!" Usagi groaned and then jumped forward from her knees, grabbing the sweet bun and shouted in victory, giggling as she did, and ending up falling on her behind on the grass. "I got the sweet bun!" She sang happily and loud enough for Mamoru to hear, and then yelped as Seijuro jumped off the bench, starting to chase her. "Come back here with my sweet bun, my little Odango-_atama!"_ He yelled out, and Usagi just laughed, her ponytails dancing behind her as she ran, the slight breeze swirling around her. "You'll have to catch me, first!" She replied, starting to dance around the area as she ran, and Seijuro leaped forward, grabbing her arm and twirling her into his arms. "I got two of the most sweetest things on Earth today," He whispered in her ear, and she giggled.

"Mamoru-kun!" Rei's voice rang through Mamoru's ears, and he turned around, seeing her familiar face standing right behind him, with that large smile she always had on it. "Do you want to go to the new coffee shop with me?" She asked, her skinny fingers vining around his arm as she looked hopefully into his eyes. Mamoru took a quick glance back at the happy pair so Rei wouldn't notice, wondering what would happen if he would disappear. _"What if that kid tries to hurt Odango? Ma would kill me if I let her off with someone like that."_ But he shook his head, finally replying, "Sure" and walked off with the ecstatic raven black-haired girl as Usagi, who was a mere twenty feet away, watched as the man who she tried to get jealous left with her number one rival.

She then turned to Seijuro, smiling at him as he snuggled her in his arms. _"Ne_, Sei-chan-"

"MY USAGI!"

Usagi and Seijuro turned around to see a guy with short, black hair in a soup-stained apron running over to them from the cafeteria kitchen's entrance, his blue eyes blazing at the man who was holding the girl he loved for almost five years. "How could you, Usagi?" He asked the blonde, his voice in disbelief, "How could you go out with this...this...GEEK when you have me?"

"Seiya, it's not like I belong to you or something..." Usagi began, but Seiya wasn't listening. His eyes were too fixed upon Seijuro. "You've got some nerve, asking my Usagi out, you...you...you KID!"

Seijuro raised a bright coffee-colored eyebrow. "It's not like she's dating you, is she?" He asked, and Seiya nodded. "Usagi, tell him!"

"Seiya and I aren't dating."

"W-WHAT?" Seiya yelled, and then started to sulk as Usagi and Seijuro walked off. "No...my Usagi..."

However, none of them noticed a black-haired woman crouching behind a tree in a black ninja suit and sunglasses, quickly jotting down things on a clipboard with a pen as she muttered to herself quickly and quietly, "Hmm...good-looking, and in law! His personality is open and confident, and he's so kind to Usagi-chan! Oh, how on Earth will Usagi-chan end up with Mamoru?"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Don't worry, I'll be turning at the north of a city and becoming yours...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

For the next few days, Usagi and Seijuro would hang out together in front of the University gates, at the nearby café, or near the garden, where Mamoru could see them everytime. He would feel a sudden bubbling creature growing inside of him everytime he saw Seijuro putting his hands around Usagi's waist, holding her close to him, or when he whispered into her ear, making her erupt into bursts of bubbly giggles, her cheeks rosy with pure happiness. For some reason, though, unknown to her, both him and Seijuro could see that her eyes didn't have the same kind of shining glow that shone when Mamoru was near her, or when his name was mentioned. So Seijuro had to see for himself if Usagi actually loved him or not. As a result, he would take her to the place where Mamoru worked after their date on Saturday to check if she had forgotten about Mamoru.

Usagi, however, couldn't believe it when he told her. Seijuro just _had_ to say they were going to go to Manchuku Bubble Tea Garden after their date at the carnival. She would run into Mamoru there, and even if he was jealous, she really didn't want to see him there at all. Or Rei. Or Natsumi. But Seijuro kept insisting, despite her begging and pleading not to, that they go there for a cup of calming tea after their exciting, fun-filled carnival date. And also, even though she would constantly look over her shoulder but find no one, she felt as if someone was following them...

As he waited for her to get ready in the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, watching as her blue eyes looked at her in disbelief as she remembered walking into the restaurant and seeing Mamoru being crowded by Rei and Natsumi, not even sparing a glance towards her and Seijuro. _"I can't believe I've stooped to such a low level,"_ She thought, her vision blurring, _"I actually went out with a guy in hopes that Mamoru would become jealous. What kind of person am I?"_ She sniffled and watched as tiny blue crystal tears trickled down her pink, sticky-with-cotton-candy cheeks. _"But I actually kind of like Sei-chan. He and I know what it's like to lose a mother, how to be chasing something but never getting it, and we both have similar personalities, but...I like him as a friend..."_ She sighed, knowing what she had to do now. _" I have to tell him. I can't keep using him for my own hopes and dreams." _

"Usa-chan! What's wrong?" He asked, softly wiping away her constant tears when she immediately walked out, holding her close to him. But she sniffled, wiping her eyes as she gently pushed herself away from his arms. "Sei-chan, I have something to tell you..." She choked out, but he held his index finger to her lips.

"Usa-chan, just forget about Chiba-san."

Usagi blinked, her cerulean eyes shocked and confused as to how he knew what she was thinking about. "W-What?"

"Usa-chan, stop thinking about him. It's just going to make you feel worse. I, on the other hand," He started to lean in closer to her, and she backed away, her back feeling the wall as she softly hit it, "will always make you happy." He leaned in, his face a mere inch and a half away from hers as he held her hand, his lips aimed for hers.

"W-What? N-No! Sei-chan, stop it!" She yelled, shutting her eyes as she tried to push him away, her weak shoves not reaching her goal, _"Mamoru! I don't want to kiss anyone other than you!"_

Suddenly, a force pulled Seijuro away and Usagi opened her eyes, seeing an extremely pissed Seiya holding a surprised Seijuro by the back of his shirt, pulling him back. "What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, his eyes bloodshot, "Stay away from my Usagi! How dare you try to pull a move on her, you BASTARD!" He yelled, but Seijuro just gritted his teeth. "Leave us ALONE!" He commanded, and punched Seiya in the face, sneering as the black-haired guy staggered away, examining the small trickle of blood escaping his mouth with his index finger angrily.

Usagi's eyes widened as Seiya then grabbed Seijuro's shirt again and punched him back in the nose, who staggered back as well, his eyes extremely pissed as his nose started to bleed. He ran towards Seiya and Seiya was to return the action when Usagi yelled at the top of her lungs, "STOP IT!"

"What are you guys doing?" A cool voice ordered as two arms reached out and stopped them from fighting. Usagi blinked as she turned around, seeing Mamoru in his work uniform, holding his arms out wide, preventing the two angry fighters from continuing their battle by holding their faces away from each other, his eyebrow raised as Rei, in her work uniform as well, and Natsumi stood behind him, their eyes wide in shock. Rei shot Usagi an angry glare and Natsumi was staring at the bloody lovers. "Do you guys want to lose your noses or something?" He demanded.

"CHIBA?" The two asked, their expressions extremely surprised as they watched their ultimate rival walk over to them, examining their injured states. "You've scared all of our customers and have broken some of the dishes on tables in the process. Of course it has nothing to do with me." He said sarcastically, turned to Usagi and looked back at them. "Could it be that you two are fighting over this one?" He asked, a dark eyebrow raised, and Usagi could feel a bit of anger bubble inside her. _"What does he mean by 'this one'?"_ She thought angrily, her mouth forming a pout too small for anyone to see.

"None of this has anything to do with _you_, Chiba!" Seiya growled, his blue eyes glaring at the man he had been jealous of for almost five years as he wiped his bloody nose. "You don't even like Usagi, so it's none of your business!"

"Yeah!" Seijuro agreed, "Just butt out!"

Mamoru smirked, "Maybe" and then started to walk over to Usagi, who started to blink in surprise. Then, he extended his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Five pairs of eyes widened in surprise at his action, but he was only focused on two pairs. "Now get this straight. The one Usagi is in love with is me. You two can fight all you want, but it will be useless." He turned to Usagi, his blue eyes locked on her shocked ones. "I'm done for today. Let's go home." He started to walk out with her, and Usagi quickly turned around, shooting an apologetic look at Seijuro and Seiya, who watched as she walked off with Mamoru in utter disbelief. "Wait, Usagi, I can drop you home!" Seiya tried to say, but Seijuro shook his head at him, implying that it was too late.

"Mamoru!" Rei's voice whined out towards him, but he continued to walk out the door with Usagi. "MA-MO-RU!" She yelled, stomping her feet angrily as she stressed each syllable of his name before storming off to the kitchen, where loud, ear-bursting clangs of the falling of dishes and kitchen utensils could be heard. Seiya fell on his knees and started to sob before he stormed out angrily, muttering under his breath how he was going to kill a certain genius for taking away his love.

"Wah, how humiliating," Natsumi smirked as she flipped her red hair over her shoulder, and Seijuro turned to her. "What?"

"Bloodied and beaten up _and_ rejected," She said, "You're such a failure!" She shook her head in disapproval.

Seijuro's expression got angrier. "You selfish, annoying, stuck-up-"

A handkerchief was quickly thrown at Seijuro's face, silencing him immediately. He took the white, lacey sheet off of his face and blinked in surprise, turning to Natsumi, who turned bright peach. "You're in a really bad condition. Clean yourself up, and give it back at school," She quickly said to him before rushing towards the door, calling out to her sister that she was leaving and she'd see her at home. Seijuro looked down at the handkerchief and then back up at the redhead who paused a moment to look at him, turned strawberry red, and then ran out the door, her hair fluttering out behind her. Seijuro turned red as well and held the handkerchief up to his nose, inhaling it's light scent and blinked as he watched Natsumi walking out through the windows. Then he ran to the door, pushing it aside, his eyes locked on the leaving Natsumi. _"Ne,_ Natsumi!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Say that you love me/Say that you care...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Mamoru said that he would drop Usagi off at the Chiba household because his father had also called him before she and Seijuro entered the restaurant, so he decided that they would both go together because he "didn't want her to end up getting another hobo for her 'jealousy' plan." After a small argument, the two ended up sitting next to each other on the train back to the area where his parents lived.

"So you found out...wait, why are you so confident?" She demanded, turning to him, her mouth forming a small pout. "Didn't you ever think I'd actually fall in love with Sei-chan?" She asked.

"Nope." He simply replied, not turning to her, his arms still crossed as his navy eyes blankly watched the opposite side of the train.

"Were you even a bit _jealous?"_ She asked, her expression rather surprised.

"Nope."

Usagi blinked. "Oh." She looked away, feeling embarrassed.

"It was also my mother's fault."

"W-What?" Usagi looked up at him, her bright blue eyes blinking with confusion.

"You seriously didn't notice her as she was running around, watching us in a ninja suit while scribbling down notes?"

Usagi tapped on her chin, trying to think back if she could remember seeing a woman in a ninja suit. "No..."

He sighed. _"Baka."_ He said, shaking his head. "She actually called me ten times to tell me about your 'Sei-chan'."

"_But I_ am_ happy..."_ She thought happily, and then started to giggle, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Why are you laughing?" Mamoru asked, now turning to her, but she just shook her head, laughing madly as her ponytails started to cascade over her face. _"I'm happy because I know now that you know I've always loved you! And you don't hide that from me!"_ She covered her mouth, her cheeks flushing a red rosier than the times Mamoru had seen when she laughed with Seijuro. All of a sudden, he saw himself lightly chuckling.

"A-Are you laughing at me?" She tried to ask, but her voice was cracking.

He nodded at her, turning away from her, his arms still crossed as he continued to laugh lightly.

"Why are you laughing at me?"

"Because your laugh is fun to make fun of, Odango." He told her, and she pouted again before punching him gently in the shoulder. "Mamoru-_baka_,your personality is fun to make fun of! So HA!" She said, and his lips pulled up a bit at the corners.

Ten minutes later, the two arrived at the Chiba household. Usagi gently slid open the gate and then let herself and Mamoru in, calling, "I'm home!" loud enough for Saori to hear while she did.

But Saori didn't come to greet her this time. Uncle Koba appeared by the foot of the stairs, nodding to Usagi. _"Konbanwa,_ Usagi-chan. Mamoru, there's something I'd like to talk to you about in my study." He said seriously, and Mamoru nodded, following him as the two walked into Kobayashi's private room. Usagi slid off her shoes, watching as the two walked away, and then heard a "psst!"ing noise. She turned around and saw Saori hiding behind the sofa, waving her right hand towards her, gesturing her to follow her. Usagi got up and followed the black-haired woman, who tiptoed to Kobayashi's study and leaned against the door, her ear next to it to hear what was going on. Usagi copied her actions and started ti hear the father and son's conversation.

"Mamoru..." Kobayashi's tired yet a bit muffled voice began, "You need to seriously start considering your future. It's almost been a year since you've left our house, and I've been wondering if you've actually been thinking about your career yet."

"No, I haven't. Not yet." Mamoru's reply came.

"Listen, Mamoru. It's still my wish that you take over my toy company after me. I'd like you to start off as my right-hand man, and then start making the company grow by yourself. That is my dream. What do you think?"

"Why are you asking me for my opinion, then?" Mamoru's voice raised a bit, and Usagi could feel his temper rising along with it. "You're obviously trying to force me into that direction, Father. You're pretending to let me make my own decisions, but in reality, you're making me follow the path of _your_ dream. That's really low."

"HOW _DARE_ YOU!" Usagi's eyes widened as Saori burst open the door without giving her a warning, her usually-gentle face angry as hell. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR FATHER THAT WAY!" She repeated, her eyes blazing. "He's only thinking of what's _best_ for you, Mamoru!"

"It's not me he's concerned about!" Mamoru retorted, and Usagi could see a similar fury in both of the mother and son's expressions. "He's concerned about his _own_ damn future, making _me_ work my own life for it!" And before Saori could yell again, he turned fully to her. "You're the same, too!" He added.

"W-WHAT?" She screamed, and both Usagi and Kobayashi cringed, scared at the huge amounts of tension in the air.

"Just because you're fond of Usagi, you _always_ desperately try to get us together to the point that you start ignoring the fact that maybe I don't have feelings for her!" He said, his voice rising higher at her.

Usagi felt her heart sink low to her stomach, and she pursed her lips as the fight continued, no one realizing her shocked and hurt face.

"It's just that I happen to think you and Usagi-chan make a good couple!" Saori shot back.

"I've had enough! Can't you even let me have my own _love life?"_ Mamoru demanded, and then rose out of the chair, starting to leave. "_This_ is why I wanted to move out! This house is like a prison! It shackles and restrains me, and-"

_TCHAK!_

Usagi covered her mouth as she watched Saori's right hand slap across Mamoru's cheek, which was now a blazing, fiery red. His dark blue eyes were wide in shock, as well as Usagi's and Kobayashi's. Only Saori's teal eyes burned an angry gaze at her eldest son, her white teeth gritted hard.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Mamoru slammed the door aside and stormed out angrily. "M-Mamoru!" His father called out, but Saori's enraged voice cut him off. "NO, let him go, Kobayashi!" She screamed angrily as he tried to calm her down. "He can never come back, for all I care!"

"Sao, please calm down!"

"That heartless boy..."

Saori burst into tears as she fell down on her knees, crying her heart out. Kobayashi hugged his wife as Usagi dashed out by the stairs, where Shingo was watching his only brother storm out in disbelief. Usagi then noticed a dark green jacket laying by the stairs. Mamoru's ugly, dark green jacket. "He forgot this!" She said, and seized it, trying to tie her shoes on quickly as she bolted out the door, trying to find him. "I'm going to go give it to him!" She wasn't exactly sure who she was talking to, but felt the need to yell that out.

"_I don't know what to do..."_ Usagi continued to run, trying to reach the train station before his train would leave. _"I've never seen Mamoru or _oba-sama _that angry before, and-"_ Her thoughts were cut off as she noticed a black figure, walking about twenty feet away from her. "Mamoru!" She called out, running after him.

"Odango?" He asked and stopped walking, turning around to see the blonde hurrying over to his side, holding up his jacket. "You forgot your jacket!" She panted, and he took it, feeling the forgotten warmth surround him as he put it on. He continued to walk, and she did too, not leaving his side.

"_I've got to say something..." _She thought, and then looked down. _"Oba-sama_ just got a bit over-emotional, that's all. You're so quiet and a bit steely all the time, so it probably caught everyone off guard when you started...um..." She pursed her lips, trying to think of the right words. "...yelling. That's why it kind of blew up, I guess..." She laughed nervously, wondering what on Earth she was saying. "But I understand what kind of situation you're in!" She added, waving her arms, "I-I mean it's not like I'm inconsiderate or anything, but it _is_ your future after all, and it's no use rushing your career, either..."

Mamoru's words about his love life rung through Usagi's ears and she felt her heart sink again. "...or your love life. I-It's not right, you know? I-It's not..." She couldn't finish her sentence.

"I want to become a doctor."

Usagi looked up, her sky blue eyes blinking. "W-What?"

"I want to start over in the medical department at our university and study there." He said as they entered the train station's doors, "I don't know if I'm suited for it or not, but it's the first time I've actually shown an interest towards a career. But I'm still not at the stage where I can tell my father. Because I'm still unsure about it myself."

"S-So..." Usagi bit her lip. "So why did you decide to tell me, then?" She asked, a bit confused.

Mamoru then turned to her, his mouth smiling a bit. "Beats me. But don't tell anyone yet." He turned around and started to walk towards his train, which was called over the P.A. system. _"Ja ne,_ Odango." He glanced over at her a bit as he turned around and started to walk away. Usagi blinked, her mind slowly taking in what had just happened. _"Mamoru's becoming a doctor...? Is it because of me? Because I suggested it?"_ She thought, her mind scrambling over the recent events.

Back at the Chiba household, Saori continued to cry as Kobayashi tried to comfort her. "Please, don't cry anymore, Sao." He said, but she shook her head, wiping away her tears. "That's the first time I've raised my hand on either of my children!" She wailed, "B-But I couldn't help it, Koba! He insulted you and me, even though we're trying to do what's best for him! I thought," She sniffled, blowing her nose on a tissue, "that he _truly_ _did_ love Usagi-chan! Somewhere, deep down, in his cold heart, he did! After all, he's my son, and I know how he feels, b-but..." Her voice started to break again, "I've made a huge mistake to him _and_ Usagi-chan!"

"He loves her."

Kobayashi and Saori turned to the doorway, where Shingo was standing, his eyes directly looking at his mother's. "W-What?" Saori asked.

"_Onii-chan_ does love Usagi." Shingo repeated. "So you don't have to cry anymore, Ma." He said, and then started to dash towards his room as Saori chased him, constantly asking why he said that. "Shingo! Tell your mother why you say that! What evidence do you have? Shingo! Shingo!" Her voice banged through the door, but he leaned against the door, remembering what he saw at the hospital. _"That day at the hospital..."_ He thought, running a hand through his sandy-colored hair. _"Onii-chan WAS kissing Usagi!"_ He turned back to the door, where his mother was constantly yelling, pleading with him that he tell her why he said his statement a few minutes ago. _"I can't tell anyone about this. It's my secret."_ He nodded, and then looked up. _"He can deny it all he wants, but Onii-chan is in love with Usagi."_

**A/N:**** YES! THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! (I think) MAMORU'S JEALOUSY! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Too bad it didn't last long, though -.-''**

**YAY! The transitions (an example of one was "Say that you love me/Say that you care...") throughout the story were the lyrics of the **_**It Started With A Kiss**_** theme song, "Say U Love Me" by Jason and Lara, and all they lyrics are finally FINISHED! WOOT! Now, to think of a different song for the transitions...**

**I'm really sorry the scenarios were so short T-T BAD WRITER, BAD WRITER! *hits self continuously with Sailor Moon Luna-P jewelry box toy that barely works***

**And if none of you understood who Yoshiya-chan was, don't worry. You'll find out later if I decide to actually continue this story...but here's a hint: He's an actual character in Sailor Moon (he's in both the anime and the manga). Yoshiya isn't his name in Sailor Moon, though (; Also, Ginga Seijuro was Ail from the Makaiju arc of the Sailor Moon R season.**

**WOO-HOO, QUICK (I think) UPDATE! Now I must go work on my other fanfics...**

**Please review! I love getting reviews! THEY FEED MY SOUL! (Not really, they just make me happy.)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:**** YESH! I'VE UPDATED! XD Sorry guys, it's just that marching band camp has almost started, so now there is little time for Celia here to update T-T Plus my birthday is on the second day of band camp, so so much for celebrating! )':**

**Plus, you guys keep saying how amazing this story is, but I have to remind you: **_**this story idea is not mine!**_** The plots and everything come mostly from **_**Itazura Na Kiss**_** (and **_**It Started With A Kiss, **_**but it's based off of **_**Itazura Na Kiss**_**), so if you think this story rocks, then you should go watch the anime **_**(watch it after this story is complete; you don't want any spoilers!)**_** :D You can read the manga too, but the manga was never finished because the author died while she was in the middle of writing it. However, the anime was completed on the basis of how the author planned on finishing it.**

**BUT YES! THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS/FAVORITING/FOLLOWING! LOVE YOU GUYS! 3 This chapter has lots of romance in it, so it's like my little gift to you guys ^^**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS!**_

**Chapter 12**

_"Where are they?"_ Usagi wondered as she sat by one of the tables next to the large, glinting Christmas tree in the center of the mall. _"They said to meet at one of the tables in the center of the mall..._"

Then, Usagi's three friends appeared a few feet behind her, all three of their expressions defeated and upset. "What's wrong, _minna_?" She asked, rushing to them and helping them walk to the table before their feet would give up on them. "You guys look so depressed!" She added as the three sat down on the table.

Usagi examined her friends' states a bit more closely as she sat down. Ami's watery-blue eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying a lot; Makoto's dark brown hair was a bit disheveled as if she was pulling it out in fits of rage and frustration, and Minako just looked plain upset as if she had, for the first time in her life, lost an argument.

"My boyfriend cancelled our FIRST Christmas date together!" They all wailed at the same time, throwing their heads back and then slamming them into the table, sobbing uncontrollably. Usagi blinked, not entirely sure who to ask first or what to say that would console them. "W-What? That's terrible!"

"Zoicite says he can't get out of his part-time job!" Ami lightly sobbed, wiping her eyes with an already drenched-sleeve as she hiccuped quietly.

"Nephrite said that too!" Makoto nodded, as she remembered her boyfriend agreeing with Zoicite that the two of them couldn't get out of their part-time job at the restaurant a few blocks away from the mall. "And this is our FIRST CHRISTMAS DATE TOGETHER!" She slammed her fist into the table, making her friends and a few other people around them jump in their seats. from the sudden noise.

Minako nodded as well, her eyes starting to form tiny tears as she spoke, "Kunzite says that his father is making him go to this Christmas party at this fancy hotel, and he can't take me with him! I mean, how stupid is that?" She groaned angrily and hid her face underneath her crossed arms again.

_"Gomen, minna,"_ Usagi said, feeling bad for her friends, "I wish-"

"And what are _you_ doing with Chiba-san, Usagi-chan?" Minako demanded, and Ami and Makoto leaned in, interested. "Are you guys gonna have sexy time like a couple? Or is he going to spend the Christmas night with you alone? Or-"

Usagi waved her hands back and forth."It's not like that, Minako-chan! We're not a couple!" She looked down, fidgeting with the end of one of her ponytails. "We're not doing anything, because we're not a couple." She looked up at her upset friends who were staring at her. "And it's not like he has feelings for me."

"But he kissed you!" Makoto said, and Usagi shook her head. "That was almost 2 years ago, Mako-chan. Yet he still acts the same towards me. He wasn't even jealous when I dated Sei-chan."

"Then it's decided!" Ami exclaimed, and everyone looked up at the usually calm and shy bluenette as she rose from the table. "We'll have a girls-only Christmas! Just the four of us together on the night of the 24th!" She smiled.

"Yeah!" Makoto chimed in, her dark green eyes shining as she agreed. "It'll be a date to remember!"

"But today's the 22nd!" Usagi interjected, confused. "How on Earth are we going to get reservations at this time if we're going to go anywhere?"

"We'll be fine!" Minako waved her hands back and forth carelessly. "We'll just find a karaoke bar or something!" She smiled. "I'll also try and get a camera so that we can take endless pictures of our memories on that day!"

"Yeah!" The four girls all cheered, and then continued to talk about their different ideas for the party.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The time I spent with you passed so quickly...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi stared at herself in the mirror in her room, spinning this way and that to examine herself better. "Look at this dress!" She exclaimed happily to herself, twirling around. Her ponytails had bright red ribbons loosely tied around them that matched the scarlet of her dress, which was a long-sleeved red velvet blouse tied together with a white ribbon bow to a wide, pinkish-red skirt with tiny sparkles on it. Auntie Saori had even helped her apply a bit of blush around her cheeks to match her outfit, and even complimented her, saying she looked like a Christmas angel. She giggled as she looked at it, wondering how on Earth she had found this dress in one of her old boxes of clothes and she never remembered having it. Hell, she was surprised that it still _fit_ her. "Now I'm ready to spend Christmas Eve with _minna_!" She laughed and skipped out of her room, bouncing down the stairs and into the kitchen where she heard Saori fussing over how her two sons looked. "For goodness' _sake,_ Shingo!" She heard her frustrated voice scold, "We're going to a party in a fancy hotel! You have to look _nice!_ Now come here and let me straighten your tie! It's lopsided! And your hair, it's all...ick! You must fix it _now,_ you hear me?"

Usagi lightly laughed to herself as she heard the woman a few rooms away scolding her youngest son, pointing out loudly this and that about his outfit. She wished her father could be with her, but he had to work at his restaurant, as it was Christmas Eve and it'd be packed with customers. She took out a glass and started to pour water in it, gulping it down to soothe her parched throat, and smacked her lips happily. "Ahh!" She said happily, then turned around, and her jaw dropped.

Mamoru was standing in the living room, waiting for his parents and little brother, wearing a black tuxedo that matched his dark, neat hair. She blinked and stood there in shock, her blu eyes gawking at him, taking in the fact at how handsome he looked at the moment. _"K-Kon-Konbanwa,"_ She said breathlessly, and he turned to her, raising a black eyebrow before firmly replying, _"Konbanwa."_

"_If he wore a mask and a cape along with that tuxedo,"_ Usagi thought, _"I'd probably stop breathing.*"_ She shook her head and tried to walk out of the kitchen, her eyes glued on the floor, trying not to catch his attention. He smirked and then walked over to her, leaning towards her face and starting to half-whisper to her. "You look pretty today," He said, and she inhaled a low gasp, her cheeks turning peach. "R-Really?"

"Yeah. I'd even ask you to dance," He laughed, and then turned around, "That is, f you were going to the party."

Usagi turned bright red. _"He was teasing me!"_ She fumed, and pouted as she turned away.

_ RING! RING!_

"Usagi-chan, can you get that?" Saori's voice called out, and she nodded. _"Hai!"_ She walked over to the phone and picked it up. _"Moshi moshi,_ Chiba residence. Oh, Ami-chan, Mako-chan! We're still meeting at six, right?" She looked up at the clock, where the little hand was on the "5" and the big hand was on the "9". "W-Wait, what?"

_"Yeah, Nephrite and Zoicite were just lying to us! They were both saying that they couldn't leave their job to surprise us with red roses and all!" _Ami's voice on the other side of the line spoke.

_"Gomen, Usagi-chan!"_ Makoto's voice apologized, _"Tell Minako-chan we're sorry we couldn't make it! We'll treat both of you to lunch for a week for this! We promise! Just please understand!"_

"Yeah, I understand..." Usagi sighed. "After all, it is your first Christmas dates together. Yeah, it's fine. Bye-bye." She rested the phone on the receiver. "Well, Minako-chan is the only one remaining..." She mumbled, and Saori entered the room along with her husband and youngest son, who were both in tuxedos as well. "What's wrong, Usagi-chan?"

"Mako-chan and Ami-chan have made up with their dates, so they won't be with us." Usagi told her, and Saori clasped her hands together. "Then you can come with us to Kobayashi's toy company's party!" She exclaimed happily. "I don't want you spending Christmas alone!"

"No, no, it's okay!" Usagi smiled. "I still have Minako-chan to spend it with!"

"Hmph. Okay." Saori turned around, waving to her. "Bye, Usagi-chan! We'll call you on your cell when we're coming home, all right?"

Usagi nodded. _"Hai!"_ She said, "Have fun!"

Mamoru turned around as he was walking towards the door to glance at her. "Merry Christmas." He told her, and she blinked. "M-Merry Christmas!" She replied, waving her arm slowly.

_RING! RING! _

Usagi walked over to the telephone and picked it up. _"Moshi moshi, _Chiba residence. _Hai,_ Minako-chan! Listen, Mako-chan and Ami-chan both-"

_"Gomen, Usagi-chan,_" Minako's apologetic voice told her, _"But Kunzite reasoned with his father, and I'll be able to go with him. Is it all right? Please, Usagi-chan? I really want to spend time with him!"_

Usagi's jaw dropped, and then she sighed. _"H-Hai..._go ahead, Minako-chan. Yes, really. Okay. Bye-bye." She shook her head, and then heard a car engine starting. "NO!" She screamed and ran out to the gates of the house, only to realize that the Chiba family had already left for their party. "No..."

Back in the car where the Chiba family was traveling in, Saori was fidgeting nervously. Koba quickly glanced at her as they drove. "Sao, are you all right?" He asked in concern for his upset wife.

"I just hope Usagi-chan will be all right..." She whispered, and Kobayashi patted her hand. "It's all right, Sao. I'm sure Usagi-chan will be fine." He smiled at her, "Besides, she has her friend Minako-chan to spend Christmas with her, so it'll be all right!"

"I just hope she doesn't burn down the house." Shingo muttered under his breath too quiet for his parents to hear, and Mamoru smirked.

"All right, we're here!" Kobayashi announced, pulling up at a large hotel where many people in fancy clothing stood around, chatting with acquaintances. He unbuckled his seat-belt and got out of the car, his hands waving this way and that. "Sao, Mamoru, and Shingo, I give you the King Hotel!"

Mamoru sighed and then looked to the side where a flash of yellow and white caught his eye out of the dark night environment. He turned to the side and saw a familiar blonde with a red bow in her hair giggling as she held the arm of a silver-haired man, smiling at her lovingly. _"Isn't that one of Odango's friends?"_ Mamoru thought. _"What was her name...the angry blonde...Minako?"_ Then he blinked, remembering that Usagi's other two friends had cancelled on her, and Usagi didn't seem to be with Minako at the moment, who was happily hanging out with her boyfriend as they shared a chocolate strawberry together. Mamoru rolled his navy eyes and then turned back to his parents, who were introducing him to one of Kobayashi's toy company's bank sponsors.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Our date had already come to an end before I realized it...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Ramen instant noodles on Christmas Eve...how pathetic," Usagi muttered to herself, upset.

Pouring the hot steaming hot water into the cup of ramen, Usagi sighed as she stirred in the water with the noodles and then set the kettle aside, picking up her ramen cup with a towel and walking over to the dining table, where she set it down and stared out at the empty patio that was enveloped by the darkness of the sky. She turned to the patio door and slid aside it aside, walking out onto the patio deck and looking up at the starlit sky. A small bundle of soft curled in between her legs and she looked down to see Luna mewing softly at her, demanding that she be picked up.

Usagi gently laughed and bent down to pick up the kitty in her arms, stroking her soft fur as she did. "Oh Luna," She whispered, "I bet everyone is enjoying a feast right now with their loved ones, and I'm stuck here." She sighed again, "You know who I really miss right now? My mother.."

Luna simply mewed and made herself comfortable in Usagi's arms, purring as the blonde continued to pet her as she spoke. "I remember that when I was really young, she'd call Christmas 'the day of starting over'. I'd ask why New Years' day wasn't the day of a new life, but she'd just shake her head. She'd always say that on Christmas, miracles would happen. If you wanted to start over with your life, then Christmas was the ideal day to start over," She looked down at the sleepy cat, smiling as her voice started to break. "And I miss her! It's been fifteen years since I've seen her..." She sniffled, wiping away her tears with her free arm so she could continue to hold Luna steadily. "Look at me, a nineteen-year old crying over something she can't help." She laughed weakly, and then turned around. "Let's go back in. I'm probably acting too crazy right now."

She walked back into the house, sliding the patio door shut as she did, and set Luna on the floor, wondering how her father was doing at the restaurant and what the Chiba family was doing at the party. She sighed. "I should've gone to the party with them, _ne,_ Luna?" She asked, and the cat mewed, licking her paw and then shaking around, making Usagi laugh. "But I wasn't fast enough...and even Mamoru said he would probably ask me to dance if I went! Even though he was joking..." She groaned and then walked over to the radio, where bright Christmas tunes were being played, and turned the volume down. She bent down to Luna, patting her head as she fell onto the couch. _"Ne,_ Luna, you know? I really wanted to dance with Mamoru," She said, "But I was too late..."

Suddenly, the door opened with a bit of a slam and Usagi jumped, scared by the sudden noise. _"The Chiba family said they would call me when they would be returning..."_ She thought, and then looked on her phone, which said in bright red letters, "NO MISSED CALLS." Her jaw dropped and then she hid behind the couch. "Who's there?" She half-squeaked, scared by who it would be. "I'm warning you, I'm armed!"

"Armed with what, your odangos?" A familiar voice asked, and Usagi blinked. She slowly rose from behind the couch and saw Mamoru standing there, a black eyebrow raised. "M-Mamoru?" She shrieked, and covered her wide mouth. "N-No, it's a ghost! YOU'RE A GHOST! EEK! GHO-"

_"Baka!_ It's the real me!" He snapped, and she blinked again, her cerulean eyes wide in confusion. "W-What? W-Why? Why are you here?"

Mamoru remembered how he saw Minako at the hotel, and he looked at her. "I could ask you the same, Odango. Weren't you supposed to be partying with your friend on Christmas Eve?"

Usagi pursed her lips, looking down. "She made up with her date as well, and so I was left alone." She whispered. "But it's okay! I mean, having a Christmas alone is fun, too, and uh..." She trailed off, having a loss for words. "But how was the party? Was the hotel fancy? Was it beautiful and amazing?"

"Not really. There was nothing but old people trying to show me their daughters for marriage proposals," He said to her as he started to take off his shoes by the front door, "It was boring, so I snuck out. Father's probably furious."

"M-Marriage proposals?" Usagi stammered, and he nodded, running one of his hands through his hair. "I guess I'm just _that_ handsome, huh, Odango?" He smirked, and she pouted. "You are _not!"_ She said, but they both knew she was lying. "You are _not_ handsome, Mamoru-_baka!"_

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow again. "You may say that, Odango, but aren't you in love with me?"

Usagi turned tomato red and bit her lip. "Whatever!" She finally fumed, turning away as she crossed her arms angrily.

"So, what were you going to eat?" He asked, and Usagi's eyes widened. "My ramen!" She exclaimed, and ran back, only to see it fell on the floor, noodles sprawled everywhere as well as broth. She whipped around to see the culprit slowly tiptoeing away from the scene. "LUNA!" She yelled, and the kitty mewed apologetically before running to hide behind Mamoru, who laughed. "It's all right, Odango. I brought food. It's by the front door."

Usagi gasped. "Really?" She ran over to the front door and saw a bag with some takeout in it. She started to reach in to take a box of sushi and a pair of chopsticks. "Wow! _Arigatou_, Mamo-"

"It's not for you."

"W-What?"

"The food's not for you," He smirked, "I bought that food for Luna-chan and I." He laughed, and her jaw dropped. "B-B-But I'm so hungry! And there's no more ramen!" She complained, and he rolled his eyes. "I guess you could have some of it." He told her, and her eyes brightened. _"Arigatou, _Mamoru!" She thanked, brung it over to the coffee table and opened it, starting to take out all the food items as she did. She opened her box of sushi and started to dig in, filling in her stomach quickly. _"Ne, ne,_ this is yummy, isn't it?" She asked, and he shrugged. "I guess , as it was the only open takeout restaurant in the area that wasn't filled with customers. Your father's restaurant was extremely packed with people, and it seemed as if his employees were ready to fall. Even that Kou guy."

Usagi smiled. "Poor papa and Seiya." She said, feeling a bit bad for her them as the image of her papa and Seiya drowning in customers entered her mind. "So you came back to the house to spend Christmas with Luna, too, Mamoru?" She asked as she looked up from her box, her blue eyes gazing on him.

"Yeah. I wanted to spend a nice, quiet evening alone with Luna-chan," He turned to her, "But it seems as if a certain someone got in the way."

Usagi laughed nervously. _"G-Gomen!"_ She set her box down and then jumped up. "Ah! I got you a present!" She exclaimed, and then ran up the stairs. A few clanking noises and stomps were heard, and then Usagi came fluttering down the stairs, holding up a rectangular prism wrapped in gold and silver wrapping paper. "Here it is!" She handed it to him. "I hope you like it, Mamoru!"

He took it and smoothly unwrapped it, revealing a book titled, _"Works of Hippocrates- Medicine and Culture"_. He looked up at her, and she was scratching her head, turning bright red. "Ever since you said you wanted to become a doctor, I looked in the bookstore to find you something for Christmas, and the store clerk suggested this!" She half-smiled at him, and he nodded at her, his expression a bit blank. _"Arigatou._ Just so you know, I don't have a present for you."

"Oh, it's all right!" Usagi told him, her eyes shining and her cheeks turning a dark peach color. "I actually wasn't expecting one...Ah!" She clasped her hands together. "Why don't I run out and buy us a cake? I mean, there's no point in Christmas Eve without a cake!" She ran over to the front door, grabbing her jacket. "I'll just-"

"Odango, you must've not noticed, but we already have a cake." He said, rolling his eyes at her.

"Eh?"

"It's by the front door."

Usagi looked down at her feet and saw another white box. She dropped her jacket and picked up the box, bringing it over to the dining table, where Mamoru walked over to. "W-Were you planning on eating this with Luna, too?" She asked, and he pursed his lips to hide a large laugh. "Something like that." He said, but she shook her head and opened the box, revealing a vanilla cake with intricate chocolate swirls decorating the top and simple pink swirls decorating the sides. On the top was a small Santa figurine holding a white sign that said in shiny black letters, "Happy X-mas". Next to the Santa was a cute, bright brown reindeer tangled up in tiny Christmas lights in the shapes of hearts. "Wah!" Usagi exclaimed, her wide eyes blinking at the sweet. "I-It's beautiful!" She stammered, her expression extremely surprised. "Wait, it's a vanilla cake!" She exclaimed, turning to him. "I thought your favorite kind of cake was a chocolate cake?"

Mamoru shrugged. "They didn't have chocolate. I figured Luna-chan wouldn't mind it either if I got vanilla, though, so I got it."

Usagi giggled, holding up two forks for the both of them. "Well that's okay, because vanilla is _my _favorite!"

The two raised their forks and dug them into the cake, scooping out pieces to eat as the cup of ramen sprawled across the floor, forgotten.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I don't want to let you go/I don't want to go back...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_"Arigatou,_ _Santa-san!"_ Usagi thought as she looked out at the star-lit sky out in the patio. _"Arigatou for letting me spend this Christmas Eve alone with Mamoru! I'm pretty sure I can forgive everyone now for leaving me for their dates!"_

The moon was almost full and she could feel that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, despite the fact that there was a slight breeze. She slightly shook her head, and watched as some of the snow that had collected on her head fell down onto the floor in a slight slow pattern. She then looked back up and blinked, her eyes sliding a bit in and out of focus as she did. The stars were...moving? Usagi shook her head fast and looked back up, wondering if she was actually seeing correctly.

The stars formed a familiar figure with wavy hair and an extremely kind expression. Usagi's lips slightly parted in surprise. "M-Mama?" She stuttered, and the figure in the sky smiled, waving at her. "I can't believe it..." She reached out, her fingertips reaching for the sky as her cerulean eyes started to blink tiny crystal tears around her rims. "Mama, I've missed you so much!"

Mamoru, who was back inside the house, reading the book Usagi had just given him, heard her talking a bit out loud as if there was someone out there. _"Who is she talking to? My parents aren't home yet, and she wasn't stupid enough to talk to a burglar...right?" _He took the small sticky note he had peeled to use as a bookmark, placed it on his page, and walked out towards the patio, where his eyes widened.

Usagi was sitting on the edge of the patio fence, which was about ten feet off of the ground, reaching out towards the sky, as if there were a floating figure there, stretching it's hand towards hers. Her bright blue eyes were so focused at the sky she hadn't realized she was near to falling off, and her body was leaning so forward it seemed as if she was going to fall. "Mama..." She mumbled, and she fell forward.

"Oi!" He called out, and threw his arms around her waist before she could fall any further, wondering what she was doing, and _why. _"What the hell do you think you're you doing?" He demanded furiously, yanking her back onto the patio, pulling her out of her trance as the two of them fell onto the rather icy patio floor. "W-What?" She asked, blinking, and turned around to Mamoru and then back to the sky, her expression rather confused as to what was going on as she crawled on her knees back to the patio fence. "Mama...?" She half-yelled, "Mama! Where are you?"

Mamoru placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. "Usagi, listen to me! Your mother is _not_ there!" He told her, his deep navy eyes looking deeply into hers, in which small tears formed. "What? But I saw her...!" She turned around to see the normal star-lit sky again, her mother's star form nowhere to be seen in the darkness. Her tears became heavier and she started to cry, burying her face in her palms. "Mama...I miss you so much!" She sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why, oh why, did you have to leave?" She cried harder, and then felt a gentle pat on her shoulders. "You don't need to cry, Usagi," Mamoru's voice told her. "It's all-"

Mamoru was cut off when Usagi fell into his arms, crying. "It's _not _all right, Mamoru! I miss her so much!" She cried half-angrily, now burying her face in his firm chest, and he patted her head softly. "It's all right, shh, come on now, don't cry."

She looked up at him. "Why? Why shouldn't I cry?" She demanded, her tear-stained face a bit angered by his words. "It's been so many years since I parted with her for the rest of my life, and I can't seem to get her out of my mind..." Her voice started to break even more and he shook his head at her. "Usagi, wherever your mother is, I bet she misses you too. But I do know that since she can't be with you, she wants you to smile. She doesn't want you to cry over her absence." He told her.

Usagi blinked, shocked by his sudden gentleness, and nodded as she wiped away her tears. "Y-You're right."

Mamoru's mouth pulled up a bit at the corners. "Now let's get inside. It's freezing, and not all of us have those sparkly-moon-warm powers of yours." He muttered, and she laughed as she watched him leave. She looked back up at the waxing gibbous moon and weakly smiled before getting up and walking back inside the house. Neither her nor Mamoru, however, had noticed that it had started to snow lightly when Mamoru saved Usagi from falling over the patio fence and hurting herself.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I want to stop time and be with you forever...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Mamoru sighed as he leaned against the tree, sipping his cup of punch as he blankly stared out at the party scene.

There were at least thirty people in this party, not including the fifteen or sixteen members of the tennis club. They were probably seniors who Sempai invited to the "Tennis Club's New Year Costume Party", promising that there would be a lot of alcoholic drinks there for them to drink.

Jadeite walked up next to Mamoru, running a free hand through his hair. "So, Chiba! I see you're not wearing rather formal clothing for my party..." He observed as he looked at the black-haired man's blue jeans and black and dark blue shirt as he scratched his blonde head and brushed some dirt off of his vampire costume, "But that doesn't matter! Are you having fun at the party?"

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "You threatened me to come to this party, saying that if I didn't, then you would tell my parents that I switched over to the medical department since I had just moved back in," He took another sip from his punch. "It's not like I had a choice, did I now?" He asked, and Jadeite nodded. "True, true. But you must understand that I knew if you came, so would Rei!" His eyes brightened as he mentioned her name. "Oh, my sweet, sweet Rei..." His expression became extremely happy as Mamoru shook his head. "So, technically, you're using me as bait?" He asked.

Jadeite laughed, resting his hand on Mamoru's shoulder. "Well, I wouldn't call it _bait_, but...yeah, pretty much. But you know what? That's okay, because if I keep my other fellow seniors drunk in another place for a while, this party will be nice and quiet, without any loud noises at all-"

"Mamoru-kun!" Rei's voice rung out to Mamoru, and the both of them turned around to see the raven-haired priestess gliding over to them in a long, dark red dress that was elegantly draped over her body, a golden crown with a red jewel in the middle of it, and matching high heels and elbow-length gloves that covered her hands as she waved at the man she loved and the leader of the tennis club. Mamoru smiled at her as she gracefully approached the two of them.

"Hey, Rei. That outfit looks nice on you." He said, and Rei's cheeks turned bright peach. "_Arigatou_, Mamoru-kun." She breathed, and turned to Jadeite, nodding at him. _"Konbanwa,_ Jadeite-sempai."

"_K...on...banwa!"_ Jadeite replied lightly, amazed by how beautiful the girl he loved looked. "Y-You sure look..." He straightened his collar as he gulped, beads of sweat trickling down his face and his neck. "...amazing!"

Rei simply smiled, "Of course, my costume is a princess!" She exclaimed, and then turned back to Mamoru. _"Ne, _Mamoru-kun, do you want to come sit with me?" She asked as she gestured to an empty table with two chairs near the dance floor, where a rather slow yet rhythmic song was playing, a few people in witch, wizard, and turtle costumes were swaying their hips while snapping their fingers in tune to it.

Mamoru opened his mouth to respond when Jadeite halted between the two. "Actually, Rei-san, he was about to go get some more punch," He turned to Mamoru, his dark blue eyes pleading, "Right, Mamoru?"

Mamoru shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

"So, Rei-san, you should probably stay with-"

"Well then I'll go with you!" Rei replied to Mamoru, and Jadeite smacked his forehead with his palm as he watched the two walk over to the punch table.

"Actually, Mamoru-kun," Rei began as she watched him pour the bright red punch into a new cup, "I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Mamoru!" An all-too-familiar voice chimed, and Mamoru immediately knew there was going to be disaster as he watched Rei's face fume up with anger. The two turned around and Rei shrieked, almost dropping her glass at the view in front of them, her amethyst eyes wide in shock.

There stood a girl, her face and arms covered with chalk-white make-up, wearing a strapless dark purple and black dress that reached her ankles. On her ears hung large turquoise earrings that were in the shape of sharp ovals with another one on a striped white and black choker that wrapped around her neck. On her head was a similar turquoise gem stuck onto a royal purple tiara whose color matched the dark purple eyeshadow that outlined her eyes. Applied on her lips was blood red lipstick that was almost the color of her flaming wavy red hair that reached her waist. Rei blinked, "Who the HELL are you?" She yelled, completely surprised by how hideous the person looked.

The girl pouted. "Rei-san, it's me! Tsukino Usagi!" She said, but Rei wouldn't stop staring. Mamoru, however, shook his head. "Odango, this is a costume party. Not a freaking cult."

Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're not dressed up, Mamoru-_baka_, so shush!" She stuck out her tongue, slightly ruining her lipstick. "And you can't call me Odango! I have a red wig on, so HA! And..." She observed what he was wearing, "You're wearing the shirt I gave you!" She exclaimed happily, clasping her hands together, "You look so good in it! Thank goodness you do, I thought you'd never wear it..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say next as Rei kept staring at her awkwardly.

Mamoru then shook his head, his dark bangs swishing back and forth. "Well, what are you supposed to be?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Usagi gestured to her outfit as she twirled around, her dress flitting around in the wind. "I'm Queen Beryl! The woman who was in love with Prince Endymion and was jealous of the relationship he had with Princess Serenity!" She raised her hands, which had sharp red nails, up in a cat-like gesture, and hissed, "jealousy" in a whisper as Mamoru smacked his head. "Go clean yourself up," He told her, "You look extremely hideous and probably end up giving someone a heart attack."

Usagi's brow furrowed in anger. "I do not!" She said, and stomped her foot before starting to wave her arms around to prevent herself from falling. Mamoru looked down at her feet and saw two-inch violet heels on her feet. "Seriously, Odango," He looked back up at her, shaking his head, "You and heels equals disaster." He said, and then walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

"What a clumsy idiot," Rei said, smirking at Usagi as the blonde watched him leave in disbelief, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder, "That must've been _so_ embarrassing for you. Luckily I'll be taking him off your hands _very_ soon." She then "hm!"ed as she turned, slightly whacking Usagi in the face with her thick hair. Usagi sighed as she watched Rei glide over to Mamoru in what must've been four-inch heels and talk to him and how he smiled a bit every now and then when she did. _"I guess if this were the Moon,"_ Usagi thought, _"Then Mamoru would be handsome Endymion, Rei would be graceful Serenity and I,"_ She looked down at her dress and nails, _"would be Beryl."_

Usagi sighed and then turned around to the punch table, grabbing a cup and filling it with the pink lemonade from one of the bowls, paying attention to the bubbles in it for no apparent reason. She idly raised her cup to her lips and took a sip, continuing to watch the bubbles with tired eyes and took another glass.

Four glasses later, Usagi giggled and hiccuped, wondering what was in that punch. She was going to ask a nearby senior when-

"Tsukino!" An angry voice called out to her, and she turned around to see Jadeite, worriedly looking around as if he had lost something, his yellow hair a bit disheveled. "What is it, Jadeite-sempai?" She asked as she took another sip from her cup, wondering why on Earth he looked so dirty.

"My Rei-san and Chiba have left the party! TOGETHER!" He said, and she started to choke on her juice, coughing out loud and banging her fist against the chest so that some of the drink would get out of her throat. "A-Are you sure?" She demanded, and he nodded, pointing at the woods near the gate of his house. "I saw them go in there, but I never did find them!" He told her, and Usagi bit her lip. _"What would they be doing together...?"_ She wondered, but then her jaw dropped as she remembered Rei's previous words- "Luckily I'll be taking him off your hands _very_ soon."

"She's confessing to him!" She half-screamed, drawing the attention of a few of the party guests, and Jadeite blinked at her. "A-Are you sure?" He demanded, resting his hands on her shoulders and shaking her.

"Yes!"

"Are you _positive_?"

"Yes!"

"Are you absolutely-"

"DAMN IT, SEMPAI, I'M 100% SURE!" She screamed at him, and he backed away, muttering something about "female hormones" and then turning to the forest. "All right, you go that way," He pointed to the left side, "And I'll go the right way." He turned to her, his expression cracking up, "Get it? _Right_ side? So I'll find them faster since I'm taking the _right_ side? Do you get it, Tsuki-"

Usagi rolled her eyes, annoyed, and ran out into the left side of the forest. _"Oh, please God, please let me find them in time!"_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The words we spoke to hide our embarrassment...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"My legs..." Usagi breathed as she knelt into the grass, her dress a bit ruined. "And I didn't even find them...Gah, I hate the dark!"

"Sempai sure is weird."

Usagi looked up and saw the ruins of an old restaurant with a few bright lights on shining from it, and saw two black figures. _"I found them!"_ She thought gleefully, and got up, running towards the doors and quietly crawling in on her knees. _"I must make sure they can't see me spying on them!"_ She thought, and quickly sat behind a table, peeking out behind it as she watched the two sitting at a table about ten feet away.

"This dress-up party is so pointless. It's funny to see all those idiots dressed up like that, but...Ugh, why'd Sempai throw this party for no apparent reason?" Rei asked, and Mamoru shrugged, not looking at her. Rei pursed her lips and looked down for a moment, as if she were thinking, and then looked back up at Mamoru. _"A-Ano,_ Mamoru-kun, there's a reason why I wanted to talk to you in private. I have something to tell you." She pushed a wisp of her black hair behind her ear. Mamoru nodded, but didn't look back up at her, "What is it?"

Rei took a deep breath, a smile on her face. "You know how I feel about you, right?" She asked.

There was a long silence, and Usagi could feel her heart starting to race. Mamoru finally nodded, "Yeah, I do."

Rei's grin widened, and she leaned forward across the table, a slight tinge of red blushing her cheeks. "Well...can you let me know today what your true feelings are, Mamoru-kun?" She asked, "How do you feel about me?"

Usagi's eyes widened in shock, and Mamoru didn't say anything, his navy eyes downcast. _"What's he going to say?"_ Usagi's mind demanded, and she wondered if he could hear her screaming heart.

Mamoru continued to be silent, and Rei leaned back from the table, slumping a bit in her chair. "...or do you love _her?_"

_" 'Her'?" _Usagi thought, confused, _"Is it me she's talking about...?"_ She shook her head, _"No way, it can't be me!"_

"I don't know," Mamoru's quiet yet firm reply came, "I only have studying medicine on my mind right now, and you, Rei," He finally looked up at her for the first time since their conversation started, "I've always thought about and treated you as a friend only. Nothing more, nothing less."

Usagi's heart calmed a bit, not beating as fast as it used to, but it was still scared as to how Rei would react.

Rei took a deep breath and then angrily got up, staring at the wall on the other side of where they sat, her brows furrowed in both anger and confusion. Her breath was becoming a bit uneven and she opened her mouth. "I understand," she said in a rather broken-up voice filled with hurt. She turned around and then sat in the chair next to Mamoru, hugging him tightly as she did. "But to me, you're _more_ than a friend, Mamoru-kun!" She said, and Usagi could see tiny droplets of water streaming down from her blurred-up amethyst eyes, and, for once, felt bad for her rival, "I've told myself many times to give up on you, but I just can't, because you're the type of person I want!" She sniffled, still hugging him, "Do you understand this type of feeling, Mamoru-kun?" She hiccuped, her rims a bit red as she cried into his shoulder, "The feeling of loving someone but they don't love you back?"

Mamoru looked down at the crying priestess, and she looked up at him, leaning in towards his face.

_"Oh no!"_ Usagi thought, covering her mouth, _"They're going to kiss! No, no! What should I do?"_

Rei leaned in more towards his face to his lower jaw, but Mamoru turned away, and her face ended up resting on his shoulder like before. Mamoru rested his hands on her shoulders and slightly pushed her away. "Are you okay?" His smooth voice asked, and Usagi and Rei's eyes widened in shock as he did. "Can you calm yourself down or not?"

"Why can't you be with me?" Rei immediately asked, and Mamoru shook his head, turning away. "I'm sorry. I just don't have any feelings for you."

"Who _do_ you have feelings for, then?" She asked, pulling on the sleeve of his shirt before he gently took her hands off of it and rested them on the table. "In this world, you seem to love yourself the most! Have you ever loved someone before? Do you even _want_ to love someone other than yourself?"

"Of course I do."

"Have you ever kissed someone?" Rei kept asking, and Usagi wondered if her constant questions were bugging Mamoru. "If you've never kissed someone, then how do you know what it feels like to love someone?"

"I have kissed," Mamoru said firmly, turning to her, their eyes locking as he remembered what happened at the hospital, "with Usagi."

Rei's eyes widened, confused and surprised, while Usagi bit her lip. _"Why would he recall something that happened almost 2 years ago?"_ She wondered as she continued to watch the two a few feet in front of her.

After a few deep breaths, Rei gulped. "I understand," She said again in a whisper, and wiped away her tears, "But I still find it hard to accept." She stood up, brushing the dust off of her dress, "I hope that one day, you'll feel the same pain as me!" She yelled, and whipped around, starting to storm away from the man she had just confessed to.

"I'm sorry, Rei." Mamoru said to her, and she paused in her tracks for a moment, her amethyst eyes glued to the floor as many questions rushed through her head. Mamoru appeared next to her and sighed as he shook his head. "I hope you find someone much better than me in the future."

Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath before running out the door, leaving him standing in the aisle-way as Usagi's mind scrambled around, trying to take in what had just happened. _"W-What? He rejected her?"_ She thought, _"Does that mean she won't be my rival anymore...?"_

"Eavesdropping on other people's conversations? Very classy, Odango."

Usagi yiped and looked up to see Mamoru looking down at her as she knelt on the floor, clutching the tablecloth of the table she hid behind, and she blinked, wondering how he knew she was there. "H-How did you know-"

_"Baka._ I saw you crawling in. You're not a very good spy."

_"Gomen..."_

Mamoru started to walk away when Usagi scrambled to her feet. _"A-Ano,_ are you leaving?" She mumbled, and he nodded. "There's nothing for me to do at this party, anyways, so yes."

"Then can I take a taxi with you? I kinda ran out of money on my way over here, and I don't wanna walk, because these heels are torture, and-"

"Then how did you plan on getting back?"

Usagi shrugged and Mamoru smacked his forehead. _"Really...this girl truly is something else..."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The moments we gazed at each other...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Good job, Odango." Mamoru muttered, his arms holding the red wig as Usagi vomited on the side of the street curb.

"I-It's not my fault!" Usagi shot at him, and then vomited again, her head spinning as she did. "And plus I'm in my second year at University, so I think I'm old enough to drink, Bamoru-maka!"

The two had left Jadeite's party about ten minutes earlier and were heading on their way when a senior stopped Usagi and handed her a glass of what she thought was juice. Despite Mamoru's warning, saying that she needed to have fun anyway, she drank the whole cup, not knowing that it was actually champagne.

"I told you not to take that drink from that senior," Mamoru said, shaking his head at how she was getting her letters mixed up already, "And the fact that you had five cups of that 'pink lemonade' before stalking me and Rei made it worse. I'm surprised that you actually hadn't thrown up by then."

"First of all," Usagi held up her index finger dizzily as her flushed cheeks slowly turned back to her cream skin color, "That senior did _not_ look drunk, and the stuff looked like apple juice! So how was I supposed to know he was offering me champagne? Second of all," She lifted her middle finger to join her index finger, making a "V" sign with her hand as she rattled on, "I didn't know that the pink lemonade had a bit of wine in it because Sempai didn't tell me because he sent me to find you and Rei-san! And third of all," She held up her ring finger and looked at it, blinking slowly. "Actually, I don't have a third point..." She concluded, and then staggered back to Mamoru, who handed her wig back to her. "Are you done emptying all the alcohol out of your body, Odango?"

"Y-Yeah!" She nodded, and he shook his head. "Sheesh. I don't think we'll get a taxi now at this hour, so we better walk."

"But these heels hur-"

"Then you shouldn't have worn them, _baka!"_

"But they fit my Queen Beryl outfit!" Usagi retorted, and wiped the sweat off of her brow, smiling a bit as the cool January air covered her in its' comfort. She started to follow Mamoru, who was the first to speak in the awkward silence. "You're glad Rei and I didn't kiss, aren't you, Odango?"

"Y-Yeah, but..." She looked down, "I can't believe you talked about such an old incident to her."

"What?"

"You told her about our kiss, but that was almost two years ago. I can't believe you mentioned it; it was such a long time ago."

"Oh right, _that_ kiss." Mamoru muttered, smiled a bit, remembering about the kiss at the hospital.

"What?" Usagi looked up at him, and he shook his head. "Nothing."

"Meh, if you're going to say something, then say it clearly!" Usagi pouted, and looked away, nose high in the air in a snooty way. _"Two years,"_ She thought, sighing, _"That's such a long time ago that even _I_ have forgotten about it, and he probably has, too. When will Mamoru and I have a brand-new kiss?"_

Usagi quietly continued to walk with Mamoru when she paused, ran towards a bush and vomited again.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The times we spent together...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi took a glass and poured water in it, gulping it down as she remembered what had happened only a few hours ago so vividly in her mind.

"_Mamoru, is it true?" Kobayashi's angry voice asked, and Mamoru nodded. "Yes, it is, Father."_

_ After Usagi and Mamoru reached the Chiba household, Kobayashi asked Mamoru to come into his study again, looking a bit more upset than the last time he had. He looked even more angrier than the time when Mamoru said he wouldn't go to the Tokyo University entrance exam. _

_ "I transferred to the medical department back in April to study to become a doctor." Mamoru said, his eyes downcast. _

_ "WHAT?" Kobayashi demanded, slamming his pudgy fist against the table on his office, "But I never heard anything about this!" _

_ "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Mamoru told him, "You see, I _did_ consider working at your company, but I wanted to find something to dedicate my life to, just like you and Uncle Tsukino did."_

_ "B-But my dream of you succeeding my company-!"_

_ "I'm going to become a doctor," came Mamoru's firm reply as he looked up at his father and glancing over at the door where he knew his mother, Shingo, and Usagi were watching through the crack in the open door, "I won't be succeeding your toy company." _

_ "M-Mamo-" Kobayashi fell to the floor, clutching his chest, his eyes squeezed tight. Mamoru's eyes widened and he ran over to his father, calling out his name constantly to find out what's wrong._

_ "M-My chest..." Kobayashi muttered, and then fainted as Mamoru yelled at his family to call 1-1-9** and help him move his father to safety._

_ "I hope he's all right,"_ Usagi wondered as she set the cup down on the kitchen slap, trying to find the light switch.

_Tchik._

Usagi looked up and saw Mamoru sitting outside on the patio, staring out at the sky as he did, and she walked over to him, sliding the door aside. "What are you doing here so late here?" She asked.

"Just doing some thinking."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked, poking at his shoulder as his back faced her. When Mamoru didn't reply, she turned around to slide the door. "Sorry, I'll let you continue your thinking. You get to bed soon, Mamoru-"

"Usagi."

She turned around. "Yes?"

"My father's condition is pretty bad, and if it continues to worsen, he'll need surgery immediately."

"W-What?" She asked, her eyes widening, "What are you talking abou-" She slipped on the still icy patio deck and fell on her knees, holding on to the chair Mamoru was sitting on to prevent herself from further fall. She then looked up and saw her hands were actually placed on Mamoru's chest and her hair was falling over her face and one of her ponytails was draped over his hand. She scrambled up and backed away. "S-Sorry," She mumbled, and he continued to talk.

"Father's illness is probably the result of stress and worry," He looked away, scratching his head, "About his company, which is drowning financially, and my becoming a doctor to not help him with it."

"What are you saying?"

Mamoru sighed. "To cure his illness, the only thing I can do is take over as president of his company."

"No!" Usagi almost screamed, and Mamoru turned around to face her, confused about her yelling, "What about your dream of becoming a doctor?" She demanded.

"I guess it was a short-lived one. But I guess it won't be so bad working here. It actually sounds pretty challenging," He ran one of his hands through his hair, "Getting a big company like that back on it's feet."

"But what about all the studying you had to do to transfer?" She asked, tears forming in her eyes. "What about people like Yoshiya-chan? You said you'd cure them from their horrible sicknesses!"

Mamoru looked down, shaking his head. "I'll hand in my leave of absence notice to the school board tomorrow."

Without thinking, Usagi ran forward and hugged him tightly from behind, trying to put unsaid words into the hug as thin streaks of tears streamed down her cheeks. However, Mamoru didn't push her away.

The next day, Mamoru arrived at the hospital again, drinking black coffee in the cafeteria as Usagi told him she'd go to the gift shop with Shingo to buy something for Kobayashi. As he took a sip, he noticed his father's secretary, Kinno, who was waving to him as he walked over to his table. "It's been a while, Mamoru-kun," Kinno said as he ran a hand through his red hair, and Mamoru quietly nodded. "Are you here to see my father?" He asked.

"Yes," Kinno said, "I've also come to see you too."

"Me?"

As they spoke, Usagi skipped over back to the cafeteria as Shingo walked slowly beside her. _"Baka,_ stop acting so weird! People will think _I'm_ weird, hanging out with a person like _you!_"

"Whatever, Shingo-kun!" Usagi sang, the gift bag swinging in her hand, and then saw a red-haired man talking to Mamoru, his expression serious. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she grabbed Shingo, ignoring his shouts of protest as she hid behind a nearby table, listening to their conversation.

"So one of the bank owners who is might be providing a loan for our company has a daughter," Kinno said slowly, "And he heard about you." He looked up. "How would you feel to a marriage interview, Mamoru-kun?"

Mamoru's eyes slightly widened, but no one could tell. "Marriage interview? You mean like an arranged marriage?"

"Yes. His daughter is about your age, and was wondering if you'd like to meet her."

"Will this help the company?"

Kinno started to wave his pale hands around, "Yes, it will, but please don't take me wrong! You can marry whoever you want to, I have no say over that! I'm just saying that it'd help the company, but it's all right if you don't-"

"I'll do it."

Three pairs of eyes widened as they heard the words come out of Mamoru's mouth. Kinno smiled a moment later, his eyes still a bit wide. "O-Okay then! I'll go tell him!" He said, and then walked off, his movements a bit bouncy.

_"Did I hear correctly?"_ Usagi thought, her expression worried as she looked down at Shingo, who was freaked out as well, _"Did Mamoru say he agreed to an arranged marriage?"_

**A/N:**** *- THIS ISN'T IMPLYING THE FACT ABOUT MAMORU BEING TUXEDO KAMEN IN THE REAL SAILOR MOON SERIES. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. CAN'T THE GUY WEAR A TUXEDO? :P**

****- 1-1-9 is Japan's emergency line, which is the opposite of us U.S. citizens, which is 9-1-1. (:**

**I keep getting private messages from readers asking where I got the names "Saori" and "Kobayashi" from for Mamoru's parents. Well, since they never did tell their names in the manga or anime (because they died when he was young), I decided to use his friends' names. In episode 132 (one of the most romantic Usa/Mamo episodes EVER!), Chibi-Usa gets worried that Mamoru will forget about Usagi and fall in love with one of his friends named "Saori", who is elegant, mature A.K.A. everything Usagi is not. And Chibi-Usa fears that if he falls in love with her, then she won't be born (she has a scenario in her mind and it is SO. FUNNY.). There is also another friend of Mamoru's who likes Saori, and his name was "Kobayashi", so there ya go!(:**

**WOO-HOO I MANAGED AN UPDATE! What do you guys think? :D**

**Review please!(: **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:**** 90 reviews! *sob* You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for reviewing(: I'm glad you guys enjoyed the previous chapter! **

**Oh God, school is returning. Yay for slow updates -_-;**

**Anyhow, without further ado, let's move on to Chapter 13, (EEK! AN UNLUCKY NUMBER! *faint*) which is a rather long chapter :D This chapter also has LOTS and LOTS of memories! Like, half of it is filled with memories :P That's how bad my writing is. Forgive me, dear readers!**

**MUST. STOP. BLABBING. GRR. Enjoy this beautiful chapter that I had so much fun writing! **

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS!**_

**Chapter 13**

Saori muttered under her breath angrily, her feet rubbing harshly against the bottom of her shoes as she paced the marble white floor that her annoyed turquoise eyes were glued onto at the moment.

"Sao, what's wrong?" Her husband asked, and she turned to the man, who was laying in his white bed in a light blue hospital gown as he watched her worriedly. "You haven't spoken a word since Mamoru left."

"I just can't believe it!" She yelled, and Kobayashi jumped, a bit surprised by her sudden shriek. He was going to ask her to calm down since he knew the nurse wouldn't come back again after she previously tried to ask Mrs. Chiba to stop screaming and ended up being yelled at. "Sao, please calm down-"

_"Konbanwa, _Mr. President!"

The two looked into the doorway to see Kinno, Kobayashi's secretary, beaming as he held up a gold-colored basket with ripe fruits and a piece of red ribbon hanging off of it with the words "GET WELL SOON" printed in silver letters in one hand and a large bouquet of flowers in another. "How are you-"

"YOU!" Saori roared, pointing a pink painted fingernail accusingly at him, and Kinno blinked, staggering back at the furious Mrs. Chiba's expression. _"A-Ano,_ Saori-san? Are you alright?"

"Oh, FINE!" She laughed hysterically, throwing her hands up in the air as she stomped up to him, both the males in the room really scared at her behavior. Kobayashi couldn't even remember the last time he had seen his wife so angry. Hell, he couldn't even remember if she ever _had_ been that angry. "BECAUSE OF YOU, MAMORU IS GOING TO MARRY THAT GIRL OF THAT BANK LOANER PERSON YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT!" She shrieked, and Kinno's eyes widened. _"G-Gomenasai!_ I only asked him! I asked if he really wanted to go through with the interview, and then said that I had no say in it, and he could marry anyone he wanted-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Saori grabbed him by his business suit and pulled him forward, her eyes shooting fire at him. "DO YOU _KNOW_ HOW _HARD_ I'VE TRIED TO GET HIM AND USAGI-CHAN TOGETHER? AND NOW YOU'VE MESSED IT UP! YOU DAMN STUPID PIECE OF-"

The door slid open, revealing a shocked Usagi staring at the murderous-looking Saori, scared Kinno, and a upset Kobayashi, who seemed as if he was trying to stop his shrieking wife from killing his secretary. _"A-Ano_...is this a bad time?" She asked, and Saori dropped the whimpering Kinno, brushing her hands as she did. "No, Usagi-chan! Kinno and I are just having a friendly conversation! You know, between friends!" She chirped, but Kinno's quivering lower lip spoke otherwise.

Usagi blinked, and then nodded. _"Hai,"_ She held up a small bouquet of pure white flowers, placing them on Kobayashi's bedside. "Uncle Koba, I got these for you," She whispered, "Feel better soon."

"_Arigatou,_ Usagi-chan." Kobayashi grinned at her, taking the flowers into his hands and admiring them.

She smiled weakly, and then turned away before walking out of the door, leaving an awkward silence to the room. Saori turned back to the whimpering secretary, her eyes bloodshot.

"I said I was sorry!" Kinno cried, and Saori threw him aside, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down as he scurried out the door, screaming. "Maybe everything will be alright!" She said to herself, her hair a bit frizzy from her increased stress. "Maybe Mamoru won't like the girl! Or maybe he'll eventually change his mind and realize his real feelings for Usagi-chan like Shingo said he had, or maybe," She started to sob, "Maybe he'll actually marry her!" She cried, and Kobayashi patted his wife's back after she fell into the chair beside him, his expression sad. "I'm sorry Sao. I know how much you wanted Usagi-chan and Mamoru to end up together, but it just won't happen. You remember what he said after I told him not to 'play hero' for the company."

Saori nodded. "I can't believe he said that, though," She said, shaking her head, "especially in front of Usagi-chan."

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I wish they had all lasted longer...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Usagi blinked in shock at the beautiful young woman. She had long, shiny red hair that cascaded down to her waist. Her bright orange eyes expressed her maturity and calmness, and most of all, her gracefulness and intelligence. Only a little bit of makeup was applied around her face, making her appear to look like a princess, no, a queen, leaving an unforgettable impression on anyone who would meet her. Her eyebrows were perfectly shaped as they rose up, her eyes watching Usagi, who was gawking, in amusement. "Konnichiwa," She spoke, her voice, Usagi thought, was as calm and relaxing yet firm as jasmine tea, "My name is Hime Kakyuu. What's your name?" _

_"K-Konnichiwa,"_ _Usagi stuttered, trying to greet the red-haired beauty sitting on the couch next to Mamoru, "I'm Tsukino Usagi." She looked down at the small pool of coffee that was dripping from the coffeepot she held and gave a light yelp. "G-Gomenasai, Kakyuu-san!" She apologized frantically, grabbing a napkin and trying to wipe it, and Kakyuu chuckled, helping Usagi out. "It's all right, Usagi-san." _

_ "Please," Usagi smiled a bit, "Call me Usagi-chan." _

_ Kakyuu laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling at Usagi's friendliness. "Then Usagi-chan, you have to call me Kakyuu-chan!" _

_ "Hai!" Usagi agreed, and the other laughed again, turning to Mamoru. "Mamoru-kun, you never told me you knew such a charming girl!" She said smiling at him, "She's an absolutely delightful person!" _

_ Mamoru simply raised his cup to his lips and muttered, "She's not my type" before taking a sip. Kakyuu's smile faltered a bit and Usagi pursed her lips. It was quiet in the room for a moment, and then Kakyuu looked up at Mamoru. "So, Mamoru-kun, do you have any other members in your family?"_

_ "Yes." Mamoru smiled at her, and he took her hand, helping her get up before he rose off the couch. Usagi got up as well, not wanting to be alone in the living room and followed them silently as they walked down the hall. _

_ Mamoru opened the door to the room he and Shingo shared, "This is my younger brother, Shingo." He gestured to Shingo, who was trying to immerse himself into reading a manga Usagi had given him while he was at the hospital. _

_ "Konnichiwa, Shingo-kun!" Kakyuu greeted, and Shingo looked up for a moment at her, immediately looking back at his manga. "Konnichiwa." He muttered, and Usagi laughed. "Shingo-kun, you're being all quiet because Kakyuu-chan is so beautiful. You cute little guy!" She rubbed his head affectionately and he pulled away. "Don't touch me baka! I don't want to catch your stupidity!" _

_ Usagi pouted and then stuck out her tongue, but she still smiled at how shy she thought Shingo was acting. She turned to Kakyuu. "Next, you _have_ to meet Mamoru's mother! She's the nicest person ever!"_

_ "Ah, Konnichiwa." A cold voice spoke, and Usagi gave out a yelp as she could not believe the scene behind her._

_ Saori stood behind the three in the doorway, her black half-curls completely straightened, wearing a black apron and a cold expression on her face. Usagi's eyes widened. "O-Oba-sama?" _

_ "I'm Mamoru's mother." She said, and Kakyuu bowed. "Konnichiwa! I'm Hime Kakyuu, but you can-"_

_ "I heard you the first time." Saori said with her cold expression and Usagi sweatdropped. _"Now I know where Mamoru gets his coldness from,"_ She thought, not believing how odd she was acting._

_ After a few mental fights between Mamoru and Saori, Mamoru, Kakyuu and Usagi returned to the living room, all of them not believing what had just happened. Usagi laughed weakly, "Oba-sama is probably on her cycle!" She said, trying to make up an excuse, and Mamoru raised an eyebrow while Kakyuu nodded silently before turning to her future husband. "Mamoru-kun, I'll be leaving now. Arigatou for showing me your home; I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She smiled, and Mamoru returned the favor, nodding. "Hai, Kakyuu-chan. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_ After Kakyuu left, Mamoru stormed immediately to the kitchen, where Saori was trying to avoid contact. "W-What?"_

_ "What the hell was that for?" He demanded, and she shrugged, pretending not to know. "What did I do?" _

_ "You kept telling her how cold I am, how mean I am-"_

_ "Well it's true!" Saori shot at her eldest, "I mean, you're so mean to Usagi-chan, and I know-" _

_ "Stop being selfish!" Mamoru shot back. _

_ "SELFISH?" She screamed, _

"_Yes!" He yelled, "We both know you're trying to sabotage my relationship with Kakyuu because you prefer Usagi more than her! You don't even think about what I want! You're being plain selfish!"_

"_WHAT ABOUT YOU?" Saori seemed as if she was ready to rip Mamoru apart, "Look at _you_, Mamoru! You know damn well about how Usagi-chan feels about you, yet you bring another girl home even when you said you weren't going to go through with this goddamn arranged marriage!" Saori threw her hands up in the air angrily, her teal eyes blazing fire, "Your father even said that you can marry whoever you want and become a doctor! He said he was sorry about yelling earlier, and that you can choose your own career because he doesn't want you sacrificing yourself for his company, yet you still continue it! He said he'll get the company back on it's feet by himself, yet you still-"_

"_I'm only helping out at his company until he gets out of the hospital!" Mamoru growled angrily, "And have you ever considered the fact that maybe Kakyuu is the person who I want to marry?" _

_Saori froze, her turquoise eyes wide. "W-What?"_

"_Yeah!" He nodded angrily, "Kakyuu is the woman who I want to marry! She's beautiful, intelligent, and mature! She's even half-British!" _

"_But what about Usagi-chan's feelings?" She yelled, "I'm only trying to get you two together because you two look like an amazing couple-"_

"_Oba-sama," Usagi interrupted, "It's all right." _

"_See? Even she herself says it's all right." Mamoru told his fuming mother. _

_Usagi looked up at Mamoru angrily. "I don't love Mamoru anyways."_

_Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that, Odango? Because it seems as if you're nothing but jealous."_

_That snapped Usagi. "AS IF!" She half-growled, half-screamed, "You've turned into such a goddamn playboy that it's DISGUSTING!"_

"_You should get someone for yourself, too, then, Odango. Because there are only a handful of decent men out there who actually care for unintelligent, unsightly, clumsy Odangos, you know."_

_Usagi's eyes widened, and then turned away and ran up the stairs, stomping towards her room angrily. Shingo opened his door, trying to see where the source of the commotion was. "Oi! Baka, stop stomping so loud!" He smirked, crossing his arms as he spoke, "That's why Onii-chan is marrying that Kakyuu woman, and not you. Because, compared to you, Odango, she's graceful, amazing, and-"_

_Shingo immediately stopped as he saw the hurt in Usagi's eyes and the tears streaming down her cheeks. He suddenly felt bad for her, for he knew how much she loved his older brother, even if he didn't approve of it, and now he was getting married to someone he had only known for a week. And even though he couldn't know how much pain she was in, he could understand that she wanted to be alone with no one, especially him, teasing her. He walked back into his room without a word._

Usagi took a deep breath and leaned against her bedroom door before sliding down it, tears streaming down her cheeks as she did. She slowly closed her eyelids and buried her head in her hands as the memory flooded through her mind clearly, slowly eating away all of her, especially her heart.

Mamoru's words from yesterday were still echoing through her mind over and over again like a broken record player, and she still could not believe he was so cruel to her. _"I can't believe it..."_ She thought, _"He's terrible! So terrible!" _She slammed her fist against her palm. _"Screw it! This time, I'm __**really **__going to forget about him!"_

_BZZZ! BZZZ! _

Usagi looked down at her vibrating phone, where the words _"SEIYA" _were printed on the screen in dark letters. "Seiya...?" She asked herself, and then picked up the phone, flipping it open and holding it next to her ear. _"Moshi moshi, _Seiya?"

A few doors away, Shingo looked up from the manga Usagi gave him at his brother, who was reading a science book. He looked back down at the book blankly, not wanting to face his brother as he spoke. _"Onii-chan?"_ He asked hesitantly, and Mamoru turned around on his chair. "What is it?"

Shingo bit his lip. "Are you really going to marry Kakyuu-san?" He asked, and Mamoru raised an eyebrow, smiling. "What's wrong? You should be happy. You said you've always wanted an intelligent, beautiful sister-in-law, right?"

"But the one who you really love is-" Shingo began, looking up, but Mamoru cut him off. "I'll get Kakyuu-chan to help you on your English homework next time, all right?" He said, and turned back to his desk to continue reading.

"The one who you really love is Usagi, isn't it?" Shingo asked quietly, remembering the event at the hospital.

There was a long silence, and then Mamoru finally spoke. "Kakyuu-chan is the person for me." He simply said, and Shingo shook his head. "Liar," He said softly, and returned to his manga.

Mamoru, however, looked at the page of his book that he had been staring blankly at for the past half hour, knowing he would never finish the page he was on.

The next day was just as awkward.

_"Ohayo,"_ Mamoru said, walking up to the breakfast table, which was surprisingly dead silent. "Where's Odango?"

Shingo took a quick glance at his older brother, remembering the short conversation they had three days ago, and then took a bite of his toast, continuing to stare at the table. "She left about an hour ago, saying she had a date."

There was a loud _CLANG _in the kitchen, probably from Saori's upset mood, and Shingo observed that Mamoru's eyes widened a bit. "Her? With who?"

Shingo shrugged. "I don't know, but she was all dressed up before she left, and she looked happy, too."

Mamoru shook his head, raising the newspaper up to his face. "Oh, so she actually found someone." He said, but Shingo heard him mutter under his breath, "People's tastes these days" and he couldn't help but feel annoyed at his older brother.

About 20 miles away, Usagi smiled as she rose the spoon up to her mouth and took the last bite of the ice cream sundae she and Seiya shared. "I'm stuffed!" She exclaimed, and Seiya smiled. "Of course you are!" He said, "Even _I_ haven't eaten that much, ever. And I'm almost a chef!"

They were sitting at a table in the local amusement park, where they were having their date. The two had already gone on a roller coaster, inside a fun house, onto go-karts to drive; Usagi hadn't remembered at all the last time she had so much fun.

"But it was fun!" Usagi giggled.

"I'm glad to hear that," He said, "Because, you know, smiling _does_ suit you best, after all-"

Usagi propped her elbows up on the table and rested her head gently on top of her hands, smiling lovingly as she leaned in towards him. Seiya immediately shushed and he backed away a bit as he looked at her sparkling blue eyes. "W-What is it? Did I do something funny? Did I-"

Usagi laughed, _"Arigatou,_ Seiya. For bringing me here."

Seiya's cheeks turned bright red and he scratched his head, trying to prevent himself from blushing too much in front of the girl he loved. "I-It's nothing! A-All I want is for you to smile, Usagi!" He said to her, and she grinned further, her rosy cheeks turning pink with pure happiness. _"Arigatou,_ Seiya. You're so kind to me!" She giggled. _"Unlike a certain someone who I unfortunately know..._" She thought, and then sighed. "So, do you want to go to the arcade next? I think that-"

"Marry me."

Usagi blinked and turned around to see Seiya, his expression a bit serious. "W-What? What did you just say?"

"Will you marry me, Usagi?" Seiya asked, taking her hands in his.

Usagi felt her heart sink. "I..." She loved Seiya, but not in _that_ way. She knew Seiya had loved her for the exact same amount of time she had loved Mamoru, and that he knew what one-sided love felt like as well.

"Ah, _gomen!"_ Seiya apologized, shaking his head. _"Gomen_, it was too abrupt! So, what do you say we go onto the spinning teacups?" Seiya asked, pointing to it, "I've heard it's really fun!"

_"Hai!"_ Usagi nodded, a bit confused and the two slowly headed towards the spinning teacups.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Your hand held mine until/You saw me off at the final train...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi sighed as she poured the hot water from the hot kettle into the ramen cup. She had just come back from her second date at the movie theater with Seiya to see the house rather empty, so she thought everyone had gone to the hospital to visit Kobayashi, and her heart was a bit confused by how he hadn't even asked her for a proper response tonight. _"Seiya proposed to me three days ago..."_ She thought, remembering his words, and sighed again as she slowly picked up the cup of ramen to head over to the dining table. _"I don't know how to respond...I love him, but as a friend only, not as a partner for eternity...that would be Mamoru..."_

She thought about it. _"I even told Ami-chan, Mako-chan and Minako-chan about it, and they say I should say yes, because Mamoru will probably never love me, but...I just can't help it..."_

"You're back?" A voice asked, and Usagi, surprised by the sudden noise in the previously-quiet environment, dropped the steaming cup of ramen, which fell directly onto her foot. She let out a cry of pain and fell to the floor, feeling two strong hands grasping her back as she tried to grab the miso paste. "M-Miso!" She tried to say, but one of the arms pulled her arm back. "What are you doing?"

"Applying miso on the burn!" She whimpered, "It'll fix it-"

"That's an old housewives tale!" Mamoru yelled, putting one arm under her legs and one around her back, picking her up. "Just listen to someone who was supposed to become a doctor!"

_"H-Hai!"_ Usagi nodded frantically, and remained silent as Mamoru rushed to the bathroom with her in his arms. She remembered the same thing happened when they were both left home alone during senior year. She made a broth mess in the kitchen and ended up burning herself. Mamoru picked her up and ended up washing her burn for her, just like at the moment.

Mamoru set her on the floor of the shower and grabbed the handle, spraying her foot with cold water and washing it. "That's better, now, isn't it?" He asked, and she nodded, laughing weakly. "Better than putting miso paste."

Mamoru shook his head, continuing to wash her foot while Usagi held up a towel near her face. _"In the end, I just can't forget about him, can I...?" _She thought. "Why are you here?" She asked. "I thought you were on your date with Kakyuu-chan."

"I was, and then I came back. I thought that since everyone had gone to the hospital to visit Dad, I'd take a shower. But I never expected you to come back, tonight, though."

"W-What?" Usagi asked, turning bright pink.

"Since you were on a date with a guy, I assume, Odango?"

"It's nothing like that!" She pouted, turning away, crossing her arms in a huff. "I'm not _that_ kind of person, Mamoru-baka."

He rolled his eyes, chuckling a bit, and was about to ask her about Seiya's proposal when he decided to shut it and continue to wash her foot, remembering what had happened before the date he had with Kakyuu.

_"Mamoru-kun!" Rei's voice called out to him, and he turned to see her, smiling. "Yo, Rei-san." _

_ "How are you?" She asked as they walked outside the tennis court. "Still going with that arranged marriage?" _

_ Mamoru nodded. "Yeah. I'm just waiting for her right now."_

"_I don't like that girl." She said, crossing her arms, "It's boring to have a girl with no flaws to pick at. I'd rather have Tsukino-san clinging onto you. That way, I could say I'm the better woman."_

_Mamoru laughed lightly, "What about you? I heard Sempai made you vice-president of the tennis club."_

_ Rei shook her head in defeat. "I wish he would just leave University already. He could have a job by now, yet he insists on staying at this school, as if he's failing or something." She sighed. "Sometimes he can just be so stupid, Mamoru-kun..." Her voice trailed off, and he chuckled. _

_ "CHIBA!" A familiar voice called out, and Mamoru shook his head, knowing which familiar trio would appear in front of his eyes in five seconds. _

_ "_Ne_, is it true you're getting married?" Minako asked in shock, her blue eyes wide in surprise. "Usagi was seriously depressed!" _

_ "Minako-chan!" Ami scolded her, but seemed to agree. _

_ "But it's true!" Minako spoke. _

_ "Tsukino-san isn't with you guys?" Rei asked, walking over to the three, and they shook her heads. "She's with Seiya." Makoto told her. _

_ "Oh, the guy from the cafeteria?" Rei laughed, "She sure has lowered her standards, hasn't she?"_

_ "But Seiya was pretty bold!" Minako held up her index finger, noting it. "He proposed to her on their first date, but then said it was improper. But he told us today that, tomorrow, he's going to properly propose to her when they meet up at her father's restaurant!"_

_ Mamoru froze, the words deeply sinking into him. Seiya proposed to Usagi? HIS Tsukino Usagi?_

_ "She even ditched tennis club today to meet him," Ami said, "She might even be interested in getting married!"_

_ "Maybe his six-year long love will finally become both ways, _ne_?" Makoto asked, "I mean, she tried to love you, Chiba, but-"_

_ The four girls blinked in shock to find that Mamoru had already left. _

_ "A-Ano,_ Mamoru, I think I can bandage it now," Usagi said quietly, getting up as she grabbed the bandages. _"Arigatou _for helping me."

Mamoru nodded and turned off the water, putting the handle back into the shower, and then walked out.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Your nonchalant happiness makes me happy...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

A large _boom_ screamed throughout the sky and Usagi looked out the window to see clear, small circles descending down and hitting on the sidewalk harshly. "Oh no, it's raining." She noted, "I should've brought an umbrella!"

"That's all right!" Seiya exclaimed, popping out behind the curtain to the kitchen and setting down her food in front of her. "I'll walk you home, so I'll make sure you get home absolutely dry!"

Usagi smiled, and looked down at the meal. "Ah, mackerel miso?" She asked happily, and picked up her chopsticks, saying, _"Itadakimasu!"_ and starting to eat it, her bright blue eyes sparkling.

"How is it?" Seiya asked, straightening his cap.

"This is delicious, Seiya!" She exclaimed, eating it much more happily, and finishing it merely in five minutes. "Wah, I'm stuffed! You're truly becoming a wonderful chef, you know, just like Papa!"

"I'm nothing compared to your dad, Usagi!" Seiya said, but smiled, picking up her empty dishes, and then headed up back to the kitchen, placing it on the slap to wash later. He then turned to the dish he had been waiting all night to give her. He slowly picked it up and then walked out of the curtain. "Here's dessert!"

Usagi looked at the small plate. It looked like a small vanilla cake with a tiny bit of chocolate ice cream, whip cream and sprinkles covering it. "Eat it!" Seiya urged, and she took the spoon stuck in it. She scooped a piece and placed it in her mouth, feeling the sweetness cool it. "It's so yummy!" She said, taking another scoop and putting it in her mouth. "I swear, Seiya, you're a natural-"

She immediately silenced as she felt a circular item lay on her tongue that was _not_ part of the food. No. It just couldn't be. ….Could it? She placed her hand inside her mouth, found the item, and slowly pulled it out. In her hands laid a silver ring with a light blue pearl on the top. "S-Seiya, this is-"

"I didn't get to ask properly last time," He said, and walked over to her. "But now I will." He got down on one knee, taking the ring from her and held her left hand in his right. "Tsukino Usagi, will you marry me?"

Usagi blinked, feeling her heart starting to race. She knew that he was going to ask, but she wanted to avoid it. She didn't want to break his heart, or lie for her whole life. She looked away, her expression confused. "Seiya, I..." She bit her lip, not knowing what to say. "Can I have a bit more time to think about it?" She asked, not knowing why the hell she was saying that, and the hope in Seiya's eyes immediately died. He slowly got up, placing the ring on the table. "It's Chiba, isn't it?"

"No," She lied, shaking her head, "I just need more time to think, and I need to ask Papa, as well-"

"What's so great about that cold-hearted bastard Chiba?" He asked softly, and walked closer to her, "You're the only person in my eyes, and yet you still think about him!" He grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him, hugging her and leaning in to kiss her. "I'll make you forget about him!"

"_NO!"_ Usagi screamed, trying to squirm out of his grasp. "No! NO! MAMORU!" She shoved Seiya away and he staggered back, his eyes filled with shock. "So, it really is Chiba, isn't it?" He whispered, and fell onto the cold floor on his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Usagi couldn't believe she had actually rejected him. She could feel her heart sink very low, and shook her head, turning around. _"GOMENASAI!"_ She yelled, and ran out into the thunderstorm.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If this were a fairytale...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_ "Ne,_ Mamoru-kun?" Kakyuu began, twirling her ring this way and that to look at different angles of it, "What kind of wedding would you like?"

Mamoru continued to look down at the table where their food sat, remembering what had happened earlier that morning before the both of them continued their date at the fancy restaurant they were at now-

_Mamoru smiled at Kakyuu, who was admiring the scene around them in the red mini-train that drove around the area. The two were at the zoo, where Kakyuu seemed to be greatly enjoying the scenery. "Mamoru-kun, this is such an amazing date! Arigatou gozaimasu!"_

_ "It's nothing," Mamoru rested his arm around her shoulder. "I'm glad you're having fun, Kakyuu-chan."_

_ Just then, two other people slid into the same little compartment, and Kakyuu's eyes shone at the two. "Usagi-chan!" She spoke, and Mamoru looked up to see a hurt Usagi and a shocked Seiya. "Come, sit with us!" Kakyuu said, gesturing to the empty seats in front of them, and Usagi shook her head. "No, it's fine." She whispered, but Kakyuu wouldn't leave her alone. "Please, Usagi-chan? I insist!" _

_ Seiya took ahold of Usagi's hand and squeezed it gently. She then nodded slowly and the two entered the compartment, sitting on the velvet seats across the mature couple. Usagi took a nervous glance at Mamoru and then turned away to look out the window. He seemed to be glaring at Seiya, who was concerned about Usagi's sudden change in expression. No one noticed how Kakyuu looked at Seiya for a brief moment and blushed a bright pink, her heart beating fast. _

_ "Konnichiwa, um..." Kakyuu tried to greet Seiya, but didn't know his name. "Usagi-chan's boyfriend...?"_

_ Seiya beamed; Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Kou Seiya!" He exclaimed, slightly bowing in his seat. "And you?"_

_ "Hime Kakyuu!" She smiled, "We're going to see the magic show on the other side of the zoo. Would you care to join us?"_

_ Usagi looked up for the first time, blinking in confusion. "Actually..."_

_ "Forget it, Kakyuu-chan," Mamoru said, "It's too low for their standards." _

_ "What?"_

_ That did it. Usagi immediately got up from her seat and grabbed Seiya's hand. "Come on, Seiya, we're getting off. Now." _

"_Being with Seiya is very fitting for your standards." He told her, and she stormed out. Kakyuu turned to him in horror, and he patted her hand. "Don't worry, I will never treat you like that."_

Now Mamoru had no idea why on Earth he had spoken so harshly to Usagi. He had felt a bit angry when he saw that she had actually gone with Seiya. _Seiya._ He couldn't believe she had gotten so low. But then he remembered that _he_ was actually the one who told her to go find someone for herself. Yet he still couldn't take in the fact that she might've completely forgotten about him. _"Is it possible?"_ He thought, biting his lip, _"Is it possible that she would she really say yes to his proposal?"_

Kakyuu looked up from her hand, trying to see what he was doing. "Mamoru-kun?"

"E-Eh?" He asked, and noticed he wasn't listening to her previously. _"Gomen,_ what were you saying?"

"I was saying, what kind of wedding would you like?" She asked, twirling a lock of her red hair around her finger.

"I'm fine with anything," He said, smiling, "What about you, what kind of wedding would you like?"

"Hmmm," She tapped her finger against her chin, "Well, father seems to want a traditional Japanese wedding in a spiritual area or near a Shinto sanctuary because he loves tradition, but I don't know..."

_Suddenly, her face started to change in front of his eyes, but Mamoru didn't notice. Her wavy red hair curled up into two buns and two ponytails as it turned a bright, sunny blond. Her orange eyes that were filled with maturity and intelligence turned a bright, childish blue that sparkled with dreams and her oval-shaped face turned into a lovely heart-shaped one, her pale cheeks turning strawberry red. "Wedding?" The odango-ed girl asked dreamily, and then slammed her fist against the table. "Of course I have to wear a beautiful, white wedding dress!" She exclaimed, her cerulean eyes sparkling with happiness, "And then you ride with me on a white horse to the entrance of the cathedral! Oh! And behind us will be a beautiful setting sun across the horizon on the other side! And then you hop off the horse, pick me up in your arms, and carry me to the front. Then, you gently lift my face in your palm and, in front of the crowd, you lovingly say, 'Usagi, I love you'."_

_ Usagi then lifted up her face and made a loud smoochy, kissing noise with her two pink lips. Mamoru broke into laughter at his fiancée's innocence and humor, while she said, "Isn't that great?"_

"What's so funny?" Kakyuu asked, and Mamoru blinked, breaking out of his daydream and returning to reality. _"Gomen,_ what did you say?"

Kakyuu's smile gently faltered as she started to take the blood-red ruby ring off of her ring finger and set it on the table. "Mamoru-kun, you've been rather out of it, lately..." She said, and he gently smiled, afraid whether she would ask him the words that he thought she would. "Am I?"

"Do you really want to marry me?"

He knew the question was going to be asked, yet still the words shocked Mamoru, and he looked down, wondering how to respond. _Did_ he want to marry her? Was she really the girl who he wanted to marry? Or was he just marrying her just because he really thought he could save his father's company?

Kakyuu let out a small laugh. "The one who you love is Usagi, isn't it?" She asked softly, and he looked up at her, confused.

"I've actually noticed," Kakyuu smiled as she propped her head on her arms, "that you act like a total gentleman around me. You're nice to me, and let me do whatever I want on our dates. But when Usagi-chan is around, then you start to act like a human being. Like you, too, have actual blood, not ice, flowing through your veins, even if you show it in the weirdest and oddest of ways."

Mamoru blinked, taking in all the words she spoke, and then realizing that she was right. He had true emotions whenever he was around her- anger whenever she messed up or did something stupid, happiness when he found out she was okay or when she acted plain silly, sadness when he found her upset or hurt. Shingo was right. The one he loved wasn't Hino Rei or Hime Kakyuu or any other girl. It was Tsukino Usagi.

"Go, find her," Kakyuu said, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of his seat. "Before she's taken away forever from you!"

Mamoru nodded, got up, and ran out the door and into the pouring rain, briefly hearing Kakyuu's yelling "Good luck!" as he did. _"Hang on, Usagi!"_ He thought, running as fast as he could towards Mr. Tsukino's restaurant. _"Wait for me! Don't answer him yet!" _

**A/N:**** Yay, this chapter was finally uploaded~! ^_^; And it was a cliffy too! BWAHAHHAHA! **

**Now, before my inbox starts to flood with emails with questions on why the **_**hell**_** I put Kakyuu in, then LISTEN HERE:**

**Why NOT put her? She's mature, beautiful, like Mamoru (except not cold). WOOT. DON'T KILL ME. T_T I have to survive for band camp next week. FML. **

**Please review! It lets me know whether or not people are actually enjoying the story or if people are wanting to read it!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:**** Curse ye, school! *shakes fist* Grr. I hate it when summer vacation no longer exists. Or when you have to spend your birthday outside for FOUR FREAKING HOURS in extreme heat. Damn you, weather. T_T **

**Hello everyone! Glad to see you guys are enjoying the story! ^_^v Thanks for reviewing/favoriting/subscribing! :D and 100 REVIEWS? *sob* I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

**And so, without any further blabbing, on to Chapter 14! **

**PLEASE READ: In the story, sentences in bold are being spoken in English.**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS!**_

**Chapter 14**

Mamoru huffed and wiped the mix of rain and sweat off of his forehead, happy he had finally reached the family restaurant Mr. Tsukino owned. He tried to slide open the front door, expecting to see Usagi and Seiya together, but it was locked shut. He walked over to the window to see the lights were off, and no one was there. He looked around but saw nobody in the area. _"Where could her and Seiya have gone?"_ He wondered, sitting on the dry sidewalk. _"Can I really let them be together?"_ He thought, and started to test the names together, _"Seiya and Usagi. Usagi and Seiya."_ He shook his head, small droplets of crystal rain falling off of his head. _"The first time my mind is blank...Come on! Think, Mamoru, think! She wouldn't be at the house, or else Ma would call me, asking me where the hell I am. She's not here, either, and there's a very small chance she'd be at Seiya's house...right?" _

He suddenly got up, remembering that there was one place left he could check. _"What about there...?"_ He thought, and then nodded. He was _certain_ that, if she still loved him, he knew the place his Odango-atama was.

As he ran, her smiling face appeared in front of him, her gentle voice echoing loudly through his mind.

"_Look! You were SO cute when you were young!"_

"_My name isn't odango! My name is Usagi! U-SA-GI. Like a BUNNY."_

"_KYAA! I MADE 100TH PLACE!"_

"_I'm the one who should be saying that! I don't deserve to marry someone like you!"_

"_How dare you read my letter? YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO MEMORIZE IT!"_

"_I'm fine, really! Just go take your exam! Just go..."_

"_I promise I'll keep life exciting!"_

"_I'm going to stop liking you!"_

"_I'm not jealous! And my name is not Odango!"_

"_I didn't want you to prance around the school in girl's clothing!"_

"_You're talking as if I'm a bad omen or evil source or something!"_

"_Not that you would know anything about loyal, Mamoru-baka!_"

"_As the man, aren't you supposed to say 'I'll sleep on the floor, you take the bed'? That's common sense, isn't it?"_

"_I thought you were gay."_

"_M-MAMORU! I-I was s-so scared!"_

"_You could invent new medicines, or become a doctor and easily heal the sick!"_

"_A-Are you laughing at me?"_

"_Why? Why shouldn't I cry?"_

"_I'm in my second year at University, so I think I'm old enough to drink, Bamoru-maka!"_

"_You've turned into such a goddamn playboy that it's DISGUSTING!"_

"_I love you, Mamoru!"_

The last four words echoed the most throughout his mind as he ran towards the docks, which were covered by a large canopy above to shield them from the rain. He looked out at the large, dark river-which was now being splashed with rain-remembering that sunny day, this beautiful place. The riverbank where she and Mamoru had their first date. The riverbank where couples were destined to break up. The riverbank where she got up suddenly when he told her that, tipping both of them into the river, soaking the two of them. Mamoru saw a small, petite figure sitting on the edge of the dry, covered docks; he took a deep breath and started to walk towards it, fully knowing who it was.

"_I really am a bad person, aren't I...?"_ Usagi thought, letting tears stream down her cheeks as she looked down at the soaked emergency umbrella she grabbed from the front of her father's restaurant. _"I led Seiya on with false hope, and then the only words that came out of me were 'Mamoru'. I worried over it, and then decided to give up, yet..." _She wiped her eyes, turning to look out at the rain attacking the river, _"I guess Mamoru is the only one for me. I'll stay single for my whole life. And when my time to leave this world comes, I'll secretly be holding a picture of him in my arms." _She heard one of the boards of the dock squeak loudly and she turned around, seeing a soaking wet Mamoru standing there, motionless as he stared at her. She blinked in surprise and watched as he walked over to her in the dry area, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Aren't you going to ask if I'm an illusion?" Mamoru asked her quietly.

"Aren't you?" She asked, afraid to reach out and touch him only to find out he was an illusion.

"_Baka,"_ He said gently, "An illusion won't talk to you."

"But the rain is so heavy!" She noted, looking away from him, water droplets dripping from her bangs, "Why did you come here, anyways?"

He looked at her. "I was looking for you."

She looked up at him, their eyes locking. "Looking for me?" She asked, "Why? Did Auntie want to ask me something? Did Papa send you? Or-"

"Were you with Seiya?"

Usagi's eyes widened a bit, wondering how he knew, thinking that it was a certain blonde who claimed to be the "child of love". _"It was probably Minako-chan...I knew I shouldn't have told her."_ She thought. "Yes, I was."

"I heard he proposed to you."

"Yeah, he did! I'm not totally unwanted, you know!" She said defiantly, and he walked closer to her. "How did you respond?"

"That's none of your business, now, is it?" She shot half-angrily at him. Mamoru sighed, and then nodded, picking up the umbrella she cast off to the side and gestured to the rain. "Let's walk home."

Usagi reluctantly walked forward with him into the rain and took the umbrella from him, holding it up as the two became shielded by it. _"Mamoru seems different..."_ She thought, taking a glance at him, _"Could it be that he's acting different because he's a married man? Gah, I've got to say something!" _She tried to clear her throat. _"Ne,_ I'll be moving out soon." She said, feeling her throat choke up a bit as she spoke. "I've already gone over it with Papa. Otherwise, I'd be in the way of your marriage, right?"

Mamoru's eyes softened a bit, wondering how, and why, on Earth she loved _him_, a person who was so cold to her and ignored her everyday, so much. He started to feel rather guilty.

"I'll marry Seiya, and help out at Papa's restaurant. And you can marry Kakyuu, become a doctor and live happily ever after." She said in a half-whisper in an attempt to prevent herself from bursting out crying. "Then it'll all work out, right? Everyone will be happy. Surely it'll work out-"

"Do you love him?" Mamoru asked, and Usagi stopped walking. "Of course I do! Because Seiya has loved only me for six years, and no one else! Why else shouldn't I love him?"

"Do you fall in love with people who say they love you?" He demanded, and she gritted her teeth. "At least it's better than MY situation!" She screamed at him, her blue eyes hard. "Loving someone for six whole years who will NEVER, ever love me back, and is marrying someone he knew for one week! Now, why don't you worry about Kakyuu and forget about me?" She continued to walk angrily, but Mamoru grabbed her wrist, preventing her from advancing further, and the umbrella dropped out of her hand and into a puddle of muddy rain. He wasn't going to let her go; he wasn't going to lose the girl he loved. "The one you love is me!" He told her, "You can't love anybody else!"

Usagi sniffled, her eyes wide as she wondered why on Earth he was being so mean. But she shook her head, knowing he was right. She couldn't love anyone else. It wasn't possible. "W-Why? Why are you so confident?" She cried. "You're right. You're right, okay? You're the only one I love!" Tears started to stream down her cheeks which were red from anger. "B-But what can I do? Y-You don't care for me! You don't l-love me!" She started to sob softly as the rain calmly fell on her and looked down, her eyes glued on the cement. "You don't love me at ALL-"

Usagi's words were cut off as Mamoru took her face in one hand, lifted it, and leaned in, placing his lips on hers and kissed her passionately. Usagi's blue eyes widened in shock as she blinked, wondering why Mamoru was doing this. _"W-What? Mamoru is kissing...me?" _She wondered, and felt his other arm wrap around her back protectively, holding her close to him. Questions and confusion swarmed throughout her mind as Mamoru cut off the kiss, and they were so close she could see her reflection in his deep navy eyes, which were locked with her confused sky blue ones. "W-Why...?" She tried to speak, but he hugged her tight to his chest. "Don't tell me you love any other man, Odango."

Usagi felt her eyes start to produce lighter tears and she closed them as Mamoru hugged her. "This is the second time..." She whispered softly.

"What is?"

"That you kissed me."

Mamoru laughed lightly as he leaned back away from the hug a bit, patting her odangos as he grinned at her. "It's actually the third time, isn't it?"

Usagi blinked, confused. "But...isn't it the second-"

Mamoru softly nuzzled her face with his nose and gently kissed her cheek as she blinked in surprise at his sudden affection. "Shh," He whispered, hugging her close to him again, smiling, "You don't have to count anymore, my precious Odango."

Usagi felt her heart starting to beat thrice as quickly, swearing that it was even missing a few beats, and she closed her eyes. _"Am I dreaming...?"_ She wondered, _"If I am, I want to continue sleeping..."_

"Usagi," Mamoru said, suddenly remembering the situation at hand, and she opened her eyes as she looked up at him. "Let's go home."

"What?" She asked, and he took her hand, starting to walk down the road. "B-But, Mamoru, the umbrella-" She tried to say, reaching for it, but he pulled her away. "Forget the umbrella!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I'd instantly be able to go a future with you...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Ken-chan, must you really leave?" Saori asked sadly, and the black-haired man who she was talking to nodded, pushing his black glasses up closer to his face. "I've decided with Usa...we've only brung trouble and unhappiness upon this family. Even though we've had our good times, it'd be best if we were to leave right away."

The two adults, Shingo, and Luna were sitting in the living room, all listening to Kenji's statement of him and Usagi moving out. Saori sniffled, her black wavy hair covering her crying face. Kenji patted Saori's hand gently, "I'm sorry, Saori-san, but we're leaving for real now. I know how fond you are of Usagi, and she loves you as well, but we have to leave." He smiled sadly, "We must all remember to be happy._ Arigatou_ for taking care of us all this time. In the future, we must remember to be happy, all right? We all must-"

The door burst open and in the doorway stood Usagi and Mamoru, holding hands as they dripped pools water on the wood. "Mamoru! Usagi-chan!" Saori exclaimed, surprised by their conditions. "You're both soaking wet! I'll go get some towels." She said, and quickly hurried away to get some.

Shingo saw the two holding hands and knew what was going to happen next. He could also tell it was on his older brother's expression.

_"Oji-san!" _Mamoru called out to Kenji.

"Yes?" Kenji asked, looking at him with the same confused expression as Usagi, and Saori walked in with fresh warm towels, handing them to Mamoru, who shook his head, continuing to stare at the man in front of him.

"We need to talk." Mamoru said, and him and Usagi walked down the front door stairs and into the living room. "W-What is it?" Kenji asked. "Did my daughter do something again? I'm so-"

"Please let me marry Usagi."

Usagi blinked. _"What?"_

"EH?" Kenji and Saori both screamed in shock, and Shingo's eyes widened. He thought Mamoru was going to confess, not ask for marriage.

Saori screamed and threw the towels in the air, her turquoise eyes wide. "W-WHAT?" She shouted, gawking at him, her mouth wide as she yelled, "ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS, MAMORU?"

"Yes." Mamoru said calmly. "I now understand that Usagi is who I want to marry. Obviously not right away, but after we graduate. I also have to get Kakyuu's father to understand. But," He looked down at Usagi, who was looking up at him with, what he considered, a cute surprised look, and he wrapped his hand around her waist, holding her close to him, "I can't imagine a future with anyone else but Usagi." He turned to Kenji. _"Oji-san,_ can we have your blessing?"

"Mamoru-kun..." Kenji sighed, "She can't do anything right."

"I know." Mamoru replied.

"She's also not very smart."

"I know."

"And she can't cook, either."

"I know."

"She's always making mistakes because she carelessly jumps to conclusions."

"I know."

Kenji held back a few tears, sniffling. "But she's lively, strong-willed, single-minded, and simply adorable!"

Mamoru smiled. "I know, Dad."

Kenji laughed lightly as he sniffed and nodded, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes, which were streaming with tears as he looked up at his son-in-law. "Then, Mamoru-kun, please take care of my Usa!"

"I will." Mamoru looked down at Usagi. "May I, Usagi?"

Usagi blinked, and opened her mouth, trying to speak, but not a sound came out. Finally, she found her voice. _"H-Hai."_ She said breathlessly.

_"KYAAAAAAA!"_ Saori exclaimed, her voice ear-bursting, and ran to Usagi, hugging her tightly and slightly suffocating her. "WELL SAID, MAMORU!" She screamed, tears appearing in her eyes as she started twisting this way and that as she glomped her future daughter-in-law, "Do you know how LONG I've been dreaming and waiting for-" She paused and then ran out of the room, screaming loudly, "WHERE'S MY VIDEO CAMERA? I MUST TAPE THIS!"

Usagi felt her breathing become uneven. _"My head...I can't tell if this is a dream or reality..."_ She looked up at Mamoru, blinking in utter surprise, _"Mamoru wants to marry...me...?"_

She saw the colors of the living room mix together in a swirl. "I'm feeling dizzy..." She mumbled, and heard a familiar voice shriek, "MAMORU! SAVE YOUR WIFE! PERFORM CPR!"

Usagi then fainted not before feeling two strong arms catch her and hear someone calling out her name. "Usagi! Usagi!"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Everytime, Everyday, Everything/Even if I don't put it into words...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Are you all right?" Mamoru asked her, but she continued to look down on the bed, still confused about the recent events even after she recovered. "Well then good night." He said to her, and turned around to leave out her bedroom's door.

"Wait, Mamoru!" She spoke for the first time, leaping off of her bed, grabbing ahold of his pajama shirt, and he stopped, turning back to her. "What is it?"

"I just feel that if you go back to your room," Usagi whispered, "Then you'll become the normal, mean Mamoru again in the morning."

He raised a black eyebrow. "Then do you want to sleep in the same bed tonight?" He asked, and she sweatdropped, her face fuming red. "No!" She half-lied, and he smirked. "Of course. Everyone would be listening in, anyways."

_"Ne,_ are you sure about choosing me?" Usagi asked, looking up at him, and he nodded. "Yes. I think you've turned me into a masochist, too, Odango."

"My name is not Odango!" She felt a familiar annoyed feeling fume up in her. "My name is Usagi! U-SA-GI. Like a-"

"Like a bunny?" He completed for her, and she blinked, her face turning bright pink. _"H-Hai!"_ She said. "And don't you forget it! Or else!"

Mamoru laughed, "Or else what? You'll divorce me?" He asked her, and she blinked, speechless. "You're my little bunny, Usako." He said, and Usagi's face turned redder at the new nickname, her heart beating faster. " 'U-Usako'?" She stuttered, testing it out, and he nodded, patting her on the head affectionately. "It's the nickname I'm giving you. Usako means 'little bunny child', right?" He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you'd prefer for me to call you Odango instead...?"

"NO!" Usagi almost screamed, and he nodded. "That's what I thought."

Usagi pursed her lips, wondering if she should call him the nickname she had always called him in her dreams. "I love you, Mamo-chan!"

" 'Mamo-chan', huh? I guess I could live with that. And," Mamoru smiled, "I know that very well."

Usagi giggled. "But I never knew you loved me too..." She exclaimed happily, her blue eyes sparkling as she clasped her hands together dreamily.

Mamoru rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I just gave into you." He simply said, but then hugged her tightly, whispering, "I love you too" in her ear. Usagi smiled and hugged him back, closing her eyes as she felt her heart flutter. Neither of the two noticed Saori tiptoe into the bedroom, holding her video camera up to record the couple, her smile wide as a hanger. "Mama, stop it!" Shingo whispered behind her, _"Onii-chan_ will be really mad!" But she held up a finger to her mouth, furiously "shhh!"ing him. "Let Mama do her work!" She hissed at him, and Shingo sighed.

The next day at school, there were three large screams in the morning, bursting everyone's eardrums.

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED TO CHIBA?' Three voices screamed, and Usagi waved her hand. "Shh!" She whispered. "Don't be too loud, please!"

"SINCE WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?" Minako demanded, her blue eyes staring at Usagi.

"I've had enough of your jokes!" Ami said, waving her index finger at the blonde, and Makoto nodded, her arms crossed. "Usagi, you don't have to tell us about your dreams, so shush!"

Usagi pouted. "How mean. It's the truth." She muttered, and the three pairs of eyes widened. "EH?"

Usagi placed her hands on her face dreamily, her eyes staring off into space. "Not immediately, but after we graduate!" She turned to them, her expression suddenly upset as she tapped her finger on her chin. "We still have to tell Seiya, though...and right now, Mamo-chan is-"

" 'Mamo-chan'?" Makoto asked slyly, raising an eyebrow and Usagi's cheeks turned pink. _"H-Hai,_ it's the nickname I gave him." She said softly, and Ami gasped as Minako jumped up in the air happily. "Oh my, that's so cute!" She squealed. "What does he call _you,_ Usagi-chan?"

"Nothing!" Usagi said quickly, but Minako wasn't going to give up. Her forehead creased and she started poking her with a carefully manicured orange-painted fingernail. "Tell us, Usagi-chan! What does Chiba call _you?"_

"Yeah, Usagi-chan!" Makoto chimed in, tugging on her shirt sleeve, and though Ami silently put a book in front of her face, Usagi could tell that the bluenette was secretly listening as well.

Usagi pursed her lips and a small smile crept on her face. "Usako." She whispered, turning scarlet now, and Minako squealed loudly and ecstatically again. "SOOO CUTE!" She screamed.

Makoto laughed, "Sorry, what were you saying, Usagi-chan? Before you said your hubby's nickname?"

Usagi's eyes shone. "Hubby...?" She whispered, clasping her hands together dreamily, and Minako started to shake her by the shoulders. "Oi! Continue, precious Usako!" She teased, and Usagi's face turned a darker shade of red. "H-He's at Kakyuu-chan's father's place, telling him about how he can't marry Kakyuu-chan, and then after school, I have to go tell Seiya..." Her bright smile faded and she looked down.

There was a long silence, and then all of the three girls poured on top of the odango-ed blonde, glomping her in the process. _"OMEDETOU!"_ They cheered for her, and Usagi giggled. _"Arigatou!"_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You are my special place/If I could be granted just one wish...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi took a deep breath and stared at the brown-colored wood front door of the hotel room. She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip for the umpteenth time and could feel her heart start to beat fast.

Mamoru was on the other side of said door, speaking to Kakyuu's father. Even though it was already after school, unfortunately he couldn't get a meeting with the angry man until 5 P.M in the afternoon.

Usagi leaned in towards the door and put her ear against it, listening to the conversation quietly.

**"Mr. Chiba, why don't you want to marry my daughter?"**

** "I'm sorry, sir,"** Mamoru's voice apologized calmly,** "but if I do marry her, then I feel like I'll be hurting both of us. **I'll be hurting her with my false feelings and myself for not being with the one I love."

Usagi blinked, confused. _"They're speaking in English AND in Japanese? What the hell?"_ She thought, sweatdropping, and smacked her face with her palm. _"Oh no, I hate English..."_

**"Why don't you love her?" **An angry voice demanded. "Isn't she perfect?** Doesn't she meet your demands?" **

"Kakyuu is a beautiful girl who is intelligent, mature, and just simply amazing.** Any man would be lucky to marry her."**

"Then why don't you want to marry her?"

"Because I love someone else."

Usagi couldn't take it anymore. Even though she couldn't understand what she was saying, She burst open the door and ran in, her ponytails fluttering behind her, and Mamoru turned to her, surprised on where she had come from. "Usako, what are you doing here?" He asked, but she ignored him. _"Gomenasai!"_ She apologized to Kakyuu's father, "I know that I have caused so much confusion and maybe some hurt! But," She looked directly into the old man's eyes, "I couldn't give up!" She looked down, her eyes watery, "I've always loved Mamoru. Always." She bowed, _"Gomenasai!"_

"You don't have to apologize!" Kakyuu's calm voice told her, and Usagi looked up to see Kakyuu smiling at her from the doorway. "Actually, I was happy when I found out I was right about Mamoru's feelings." She said.

**"Kakyuu! Go back to your room!"** Her father said angrily, and she turned to him. **"Father, I'm already in love with someone else."**

** "WHAT?"** He screamed, staggering back.

** "I've already met the person who I'm supposed to marry!"**

** "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" **

Kakyuu's eyes blazed fire at her father angrily, making him cringe at the scary sight of her enraged expression. **"I'm finally doing something by myself, dad! I choose what I want in life by myself! It's **_**not**_** your business!" **She yelled storming towards the door, and her father's eyes widened as he sank to the floor, sobbing. **"My baby daughter...she's never spoken to me like that before...MY BABY!"**

"Usagi-chan, Mamoru-kun!" Kakyuu turned to them before leaving, waving her fingers at them. "I wish you both happiness! I'll go for my love, as well!" She exclaimed before fluttering out the door, her red hair trailing behind her. Mamoru looked down at Usagi, who waved back at Kakyuu. "Why did you come in?" He asked.

Usagi pouted, crossing her arms. "You obviously weren't doing a good job in convincing him."

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "Well, let's see how you'll do at your father's restaurant." He said, and she stuck out her tongue at him. "I'll do a _way _better job that you did!" She told him, flipping one of her ponytails over her shoulder, but knew that deep inside, she was the worst convincing person ever.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear God, please stop time when we are alone together...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_"A-Ano,_ Seiya-" Usagi began as she entered the small restaurant, but the man she rejected the night before simply brushed past her, busying himself by doing the dishes, stirring stews and soups, and cutting vegetables, saying, "Oh, oh, so busy!" as he ran around her father's restaurant. "Seiya-"

"MUST CUT VEGGIES!" He yelled, rushing over to the the slap near the door to the kitchen, starting to chop the bell peppers mercilessly, and Usagi bit her lip. This wasn't going to be easy for the either of them.

"Seiya, please listen to me-"

"Usagi, please, just go home." He said, his back still turned to her as he didn't look at her direction once.

"But Seiya-"

"Seiya."

Both Usagi and Seiya turned around to see Mamoru in front of the door, looking directly in Seiya's eyes. "M-Mamo-chan?" She stammered in confusion, but Mamoru looked at Seiya only. "We have to talk."

Seiya turned around, continuing to cut the vegetables. "I'm a bit busy, in case you haven't-"

"I'm taking Usagi."

There was a long silence as Seiya threw the knife on top of the wooden board angrily, and Usagi could feel the tension in the room increasing dramatically. She was scared on what Seiya would do next, and cringed a little bit.

All of a sudden, Seiya whipped around, his eyes bloodshot. "Don't talk rubbish!" He spat at his six-year long rival. "You've always been so cold to Usagi, and now you're saying you're going to take her? _I'm_ the one who's been devoted to Usagi ONLY for the past six years! And now you're just going to take her away? No!" He rushed towards him, his teeth gritted. "I won't allow it, damn it!"

"Who says we need your approval?" Mamoru asked coolly, and Seiya's expression hardened. "WHY YOU-"

"Seiya, please!" Usagi said pleadingly, "I love Mamo-chan, after all!"

Seiya's eyes widened as he watched the girl he loved watch him with her beautiful sky blue eyes. He looked deep into those eyes and remembered that, everyday, for six years, he would look into those eyes, but, despite all the love he would constantly shower on her, he would always see Mamoru's face in them. He felt a lump in his throat and he swallowed it down, sighing. "Right. It doesn't make a difference whether I allow it or not, will it?" He asked, defeated, and Usagi could feel her heart sink with guilt. "Seiya, _g-gomen."_

"You've always had such a bad taste for men," He muttered, and his head shot up at Mamoru. "CHIBA!" He yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at his rival. "YOU'D BETTER TAKE CARE OF USAGI!" He commanded, and then pointed over at the sharp knife he had thrown earlier. "I'll always be on watch! If you make her cry ONE SINGLE TEAR, then you're going to pay DEARLY! YOU GOT THAT?"

Mamoru nodded, smiling a bit. _"Hai."_

"Seiya," Her loving voice spoke to him, _"arigatou."_

_"Hai, hai,"_ Seiya drawled, and started to push the couple out the door. "I'm very busy now, so leave!" He said, and then slammed the door shut.

"Wow, you took that pretty well, Seiya!" One of his co-workers shouted, and tears started to stream down his face. "M-My Usagi..." He whispered, dropping down on his knees. "I can't b-believe you're g-gone..." He started to cry, and Kenji bent down to his assistant chef. "Come on, let's close the shop and get some drinks, Seiya-kun."

_"Ne,_ Dad," Seiya said, and leaned on Kenji's shoulder, slightly wetting it from his tears. "Is it all right if I still call you 'Dad'?" He asked, and Kenji smiled kindly. _"Hai."_ He told him, and Seiya smiled a bit, sniffing as he wiped his face. "I can't believe it...I'll never ever have a chance with her now..." He said, and Kenji patted his head. "Come on, let's go out for some drinks to get you feeling better."

Outside, Usagi and Mamoru walked home together silently, and Usagi pursed her lips, looking up at him. _"Ne,_ why did you come in to talk to Seiya?" She asked, her bright blue eyes wide.

He crossed his arms in a feminine fashion and started to mimic her, saying, "You obviously weren't doing a good job in convincing him."

Usagi pouted and looked away. "It's not like it was easy," She mumbled, and then sighed. "We sure did hurt a lot of people."

"If you really want something in life, then you have to work for it and make some sacrifices throughout the way." He simply said.

Usagi's forehead creased in a look of disapproval. "No, that's not entirely true!" She shot back, "I mean, one can accomplish anything without hurting anyone or anything else as long as they put their whole heart into it!"

Mamoru raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying that no one in this world has a heart?" He asked, and her eyes widened at his question as she shook her head. "No! That's not what I meant!" She looked away. "I just don't want to break his heart or Rei-san's heart by marrying you."

Mamoru shrugged. "All we can do is wait until we see what happens to them later. We don't know what will come of us, either, in the near future." He said, and her face turned beetroot red. "What do you mean by _near future?"_ She asked, and he shook his head. Usagi pouted. "If you're going to say something, then say it right!" She mumbled, annoyed at him as she crossed her arms.

When the two walked in, they were surprised to see Kobayashi blinking in shock, running around. "What's this I hear about you two getting married?" He demanded, and Usagi grinned. _"Hai,_ we're getting married after we graduate!" She exclaimed, and her future father-in-law's eyes widened, but then returned to normal as he chuckled. "I knew it," He said, smiling and took Usagi's hands as he led her in, patting them gently. "Usagi-chan, please take care of Mamoru!" He told her, and she nodded. "I will!" She replied, and he laughed as he hugged her close to him. "Welcome to the Chiba family, Usagi-chan!"

"Ah, it's the bride and the groom!" A voice called, and the three adults turned to see Saori waving to them ecstatically as she also balanced a phone in her left arm. "Do you two like chocolate or vanilla cake?"

"What for?" Mamoru asked, his forehead creasing. _"Don't tell me..."_

"For your wedding, of course!" Saori exclaimed happily, and his and Usagi's eyes widened as they screamed, "WHAT?"

**A/N:**** YAY, CLIFF HANGER! ^_^**

**Ummm I really don't have any announcements or anything...THANK YOU GUYS FOR REVIEWING/FAVORITING/SUBSCRIBING! I'm so glad you guys like it! :D **

**Sorry that this chapter was out a bit more later...stupid band camp **

**Review please! This heat is KILLING ME.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:**** *ROARRRRRR!* I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED! Thank you all for the lovely reviews and favoriting/subscribing! ^^ 112 reviews and 88 subscriptions! *passes out* **

**Sorry for the late update...band camp has officially destroyed and maimed my feet, sending me into huge spirals of pain, and school has killed me under it's heavy pressure. Yaaaaaay.**

**Please read:**** I've gotten MANY private messages asking why on Earth Mamoru hasn't told Usagi exactly WHY he loves her. This is what I have to say: ****Mamoru is still confused about his feelings.**** His feelings are still a bit rolled up in a rubber band ball; Usagi just lightly loosened the ends. He knows that he loves Usagi, but he doesn't exactly know why he gets upset when he sees her hurt or when he gets happy when he sees her excited yet. He (and you, dear readers) will find out later :D I promise!**

**And due to my stupid lack of imagination during this chapter, Usagi's wedding dress is **_**almost **_**the ****exact same**** as in another one of my fics, "Missing the Old You". Please don't kill me. :P**

**Thank you guys for being so patient! Here's Chapter 15! ENJOY!**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS!**_

**Chapter 15**

Usagi sank her teeth deeply into her lip as she sat still, trying not to squirm while she sat on the leather chair that was covered with the continuous sweat from her hands, feeling the heavy brush sweep across her cheeks and closed shut eyelids, the light brush streak against her lids, outlining her eyes with liquid eyeliner, and the soft feel of the lipstick brush against her lips.

This was her first time getting makeup done on her face, and she was nervous to see what she would end up looking like. Saori kept muttering under her breath as she applied the makeup to her future daughter-in-law's face, ignoring Usagi's twitching and gently slapping her wrist down when she wanted to satisfy a killer itch she would have on her head or face. Not knowing what to do, Usagi just remained to sit there and remembered the "huge fight" that occurred in the Chiba household two weeks ago.

"_What on Earth are you talking about?" Mamoru demanded, glaring at his mother, who simply waved him away as she rose the phone back up to her ear, but continued speaking to the shocked, young couple. "I'll just get a vanilla cake, because that's Usagi-chan's favorite, and Mamoru, we can get any kind of flowers you want, and-"_

_Mamoru grabbed the phone from Saori, whose expression became surprised as he replaced it back on the receiver, trying to understand what was going on. "Ma, what are you doing?" He asked. "I told you that Usako and I aren't-"_

" '_USAKO'?" Saori squealed, throwing her hands up in the air as she danced around the living room, her black hair fluttering around behind her. Her husband shook his head in defeat, mumbling something about going to take a nap and walked out of the room as she continued to dance around. "THAT IS SUCH A CUTE NICKNAME!" She screamed, her teal eyes gleaming at the two. "Well done, Mamoru!" She then noticed the surprised blonde was staring at her. "Usagi-chan," She faced Usagi, resting her hands on her shoulders and gently shaking the blonde, whose bright blue eyes widened in surprise as she spoke, "What do you call Mamoru? Surely you must have a nickname for him too! Come on, you can tell me! Is it 'Mamo-Mamo'? Or is it just plain 'Mamo'?"_

_Usagi blinked, not sure how to respond as her cheeks started to turn bright peach. "A-Actually-"_

"_OOH! Or is it-"_

"_MA!' Mamoru yelled, trying to get her back onto track, and his mother turned to him as he walked closer to her, "I told you: Usako and I aren't getting married until _after_ we graduate! I still need to get back into the medical department, and-"_

_Saori, who, apparently, was _not_ used to being interrupted, glared at her son as she put her hands on her hips, "Well, good things need to be rushed, right?" She asked, her mouth turning into a pout, "And also, by the time you two graduate, you might change your mind about marriage!" _

_Shingo, who Usagi hadn't realized until now was laying on the couch, his turquoise eyes glued onto a book, muttered, "That's probably true." _

"_And it won't be fair to Usagi-chan!" Saori added, and Mamoru shook his head. "For once, can't you let me decide something by myself?" _

"_I am!" She said, and picked the phone back up, starting to re-dial the number of the man Mamoru made her hang up on. "I'm letting you choose the types and colors of the flowers at the wedding!" _

_Mamoru smacked his forehead with his palm and then walked off into the room he and Shingo shared, and Usagi heard him mutter, "I don't understand marriages" under his breath. She sighed as Saori happily chattered away on the phone about the arrangements for the wedding. _

"_Mamo-chan hasn't talked to me for three days..."_ Usagi thought as she snapped back to reality, remembering how Mamoru had been a bit more agitated than usual ever since the fight he had with his mother, and that he completely stopped talking to her after Saori took Usagi dress-shopping, which was three days ago.

Usagi took a deep breath and Saori gently patted her bare shoulder. "You can open your eyes now, Usagi-chan."

Usagi slowly opened her eyes and blinked as she looked at the crystal rectangle in front of her, blinking a few moments just to make sure that the person in front of her was, in fact, her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She looked up at Saori's beaming reflection in the mirror, and then back to the surprised blonde sitting on the leather chair next to her.

There was a cerulean-eyed, petite girl who was sitting on the chair, staring at the mirror, her eyes very wide as she watched herself. Her heart-shaped face was a bright peach color and her cheeks were a rosy pink, matching her lips which were formed in a small "O". Her eyelids were a softer pink that blended in with her skin, and were outlined with very thin strokes of shiny black liquid eyeliner. Small, shiny pearl-white earrings hung from her ears, which were slightly hidden by her thrice-brushed ponytails. Her face looked like a complete jewel.

"I-I..." Usagi tried to speak, but Saori just sighed, happy with her completed work. "I've always wanted to do makeup on my daughter." She said, and Usagi's pink cheeks flushed harder. "A-Auntie, I-"

"No!" Saori held up her index finger, immediately silencing her daughter-in-law as tears streamed down her face. She finally felt like a mother. "You do not call me 'Auntie', anymore." She rested her hands on her shoulders. "You shall call me 'mother', now!" She exclaimed, and Usagi nodded.

Saori sniffed, trying not to cry harder. "Y-You haven't even looked at how your dress compliments you!" She sobbed, and Usagi nodded, slowly got up, walking carefully over to the full mirror to look at herself, trying not to trip. She inhaled a little gasp as she looked at the scene in front of her.

Usagi was wearing a large white dress that had elaborate designs decorated on the bright red and white lace that seemed to hang elegantly between the middle and the hem of the bottom of the dress. Tiny red and pink roses were carefully stitched on the hem of the bottom and delicately decorated around the top part of the dress, giving it a little elegant color. Pearl-white barrettes were nestled cozily in her hair, one pair by each odango, and a pearl white necklace hung delicately around her neck. Lacy cap sleeves wrapped themselves around her arms, which were resting by her side, and down by her ankles, her feet were protected by sparkling white heels. She blinked again, surprised, and Saori walked over, covering her face in a thin, lacy veil, which was hung by a thin, almost non-visible line over her head that also connected the fake matching pink and red roses covering her odangos. Usagi's lips slightly parted at how beautiful she looked, and Saori started to sob harder, whipping out a handkerchief and blowing her nose into it as she flipped her dark hair over her shoulder as to not get her tears mixed into it.

"Aunt- _Oka-sama..."_ Usagi slowly turned to her mother-in-law, the woman she loved like a mother, and stretched her arms out to hug her. The sobbing woman hugged back, and then backed away. "N-No, we don't want to ruin your dress or makeup!" She exclaimed, and gently brushed out the wrinkles in the bride's dress before she brushed out the wrinkles in her own baby blue dress. "Usagi-chan, you're so beautiful."

"_Oka-sama,_ I'm hungr-" Shingo walked in, and then immediately froze in his tracks as he saw Usagi, his jaw dropping a bit as he stared. Usagi's lips pulled up at the corners. "Shingo-kun, do I look good?" She asked, twirling around in many angles so he could see how she looked.

Shingo cleared his throat and turned away, a blush too small for Usagi to see coloring his cheeks. "I guess clothes _do_ really help." He muttered, and Usagi giggled. _"Arigatou,_ Shingo-kun!"

"Hmph." Shingo shook his head. _"Onii-chan_ must have gone crazy to want to marry _you."_ He said, crossing his arms, and Saori hit him gently on the head before walking out to get herself ready for the upcoming ceremony. "Don't trip on your way down the aisle, _baka_." He reminded her.

Usagi blinked. "Oh no..." She said, "Now that you mention it, that might actually happen!" She started to panic, her facial expression a mix of shock and alarm as she slumped back into the leather chair, and Shingo shook his head again. Then, a spark flew through his head as his brain hatched an idea. He looked up at the panicked bride. _"Ne,_ Usagi."

Usagi looked down at the little tuxedo-ed boy, a bit shocked that he actually called her by her first name. "What is it?"

"Let me give you a secret gift, since it's your wedding." He said, and waved his index finger, gesturing her to bend down to his height. Her brows furrowed in confusion but she slowly bent down to Shingo, who placed his hand around her ear and started to whisper in it. "You know, that one time..."

There were a few moments of silence as Shingo whispered the magical words in her ear, and her eyes widened as she faced him when he finished, her jaw dropping and her elegant face filled with shock and surprise. "EH?"

Shingo nodded, smiling at the shocked blonde, and then started to walk away towards the exit door. "Well, I'm off to go eat some of the shrimp at the food table." He told her over his shoulder, "I've heard it's delicious, and I'm starving."

Suddenly the entrance door quietly creaked open and Usagi looked up, seeing a flash of red and black. She gently rubbed her eyes and saw Hino Rei standing in the doorway, her amethyst eyes half-smiling at her.

"R-Rei-san!" Usagi said breathlessly as she immediately rose from her seat, and Rei walked over to her, gently patting her on the arm with a soft, red-nails-painted hand. "You look beautiful." She told her.

"_A-Arigatou!"_ Usagi said, pursing her lips, feeling uncomfortable as she had no idea what to say. "You do, too!"

"Congratulations." Rei said, smiling fully now, and she flipped a lock of her raven-black hair over her shoulder, which was covered by her scarlet dress. "I'm actually glad that Mamoru-kun chose you."

Usagi blinked, surprise, guilt and shock mixing inside her. "Really?" She asked, not knowing what else to say.

Rei nodded. "If he had married that Kakyuu woman, then I would've felt like I gave him up without a fight. But with you," She pointed at the bride, "I feel like I actually gave it my all, you know?"

Usagi smiled at her rival for the first time and nodded. _"Hai._" She carefully took the priestess' hands in hers and held them up. "You know, Jadeite-sempai actually carries a flame for you, Rei-chan."

Rei's expression became a bit surprised at her new name for a moment, and then she chuckled. "That's true, but he is a bit of a scatterbrain."

"But he really cares about you." Usagi said, grinning. "You should give him a try; I'm sure he'll make you happy!"

Rei nodded. "I will." She patted her was-rival's hand again, smiling. "Just remember, if Mamoru-kun ever wants to leave you, I'm always open!"

Usagi's grin turned into a quiver. "W-What?" She asked, and Rei laughed. "I'm just kidding!" She chuckled, and headed towards the door, glancing over her shoulder before leaving. "See you at the ceremony, Usagi."

Usagi half-smiled, nodding back, but she thought about it. _"Mamoru...leaving me?"_ She thought. _"What if she's right? I mean, why _is_ Mamoru marrying me?" _She bit her lip, her eyes glued down onto the carpet of the bride private room.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Stop the time/Just like this...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"The groom looks soooo handsome!"

"I know! His hair, his look- it all looks so perfect!"

"But he doesn't look too happy...Is he nervous or something?"

"Maybe the bride he's marrying is really ugly!"

"Ha! Then I should run away with him, _ne?"_

Whispers floated around the air of the docks in which many people sat, watching as Mamoru stood at the front in a black tuxedo, his eyes closed. His face was rather expressionless, which greatly contributed to people's quiet, whispering questions as to why he had looked so upset.

He didn't want to get married to Usagi. Now, at least. He had wanted to wait until the two of them had graduated, as he had said at least thirty times to his crazy mother, and yet here he was, two weeks later, standing at the front of the docks in a black tuxedo while some of some of his and Usagi's fellow University classmates gossiped about the wedding preparations. He sighed.

Mamoru then looked up, his navy eyes scanning around at the area. He had been standing at the front of these covered docks for about twenty minutes now. The docks near the river where he and Usagi had their first date, and where he had found her in the rain two weeks ago. It was the only decision his mother had actually let him decide, yet she was still rather upset when he said he didn't want to get married inside a stuffy cathedral hall. He was actually glad now that she had eventually agreed (thanks to Usagi's persuasion), but the rest she had completely planned.

Even thought Mamoru had asked for a "small wedding", Saori had invited over one-hundred people, all from their University, Kobayashi's company, the tennis club, Usagi's friends, and Kenji's workers from his restaurant, claiming that this was small enough, yet she still wanted to invite more people. When Mamoru had protested, Saori shot back that she had only invited "special people" to the wedding, and that "100 people was such a small amount for a wedding".

Along with those hundred people, the decorations were entirely hers. Ivory-colored tables were set around the area, red table-cloths with red rose petals on top decorating them. White chairs were also set out for guests to sit in, and pieces of pearl-white silk strands hung so low enough from the poles that even small children could attempt to pull them down and break something. Mamoru shook his head, and watched as the deep blue waves behind him slowly rocked back and forth, making a calming noise. He looked back up and saw the bright blue sky- the type of blue that reminded him of Usagi's eyes - filled with many magnolia-colored clouds. He knew it was going to rain today, but his mother simply would not listen, saying that the heavens would not let it rain on this "heavenly day of him and Usagi finally uniting for eternity and beyond". She even had the canopy that covered the docks removed, claiming that it simply would _not_ rain.

Suddenly he heard a familiar scream, and his head shot up to see his mother in a bright blue dress, running down the aisle of the docks as guests stared at her with wide eyes, wondering why she was sobbing and yelling incoherently. She ran straight into Mamoru's arms, slamming against his chest hard, and he let out a "hmph!" as he staggered back by her sudden weight. "Ma, calm down!" He told her, and she started to hyperventilate a bit, her usually-calm turquoise eyes now wide with alarm. He patted her shoulders. "Shh, it's all right! Tell me, what's wrong?"

Saori took a deep breath, wiping the sweat off of her forehead as she looked up at her eldest son. "U-Usagi-chan's missing!" She sobbed, and Mamoru's navy eyes blinked. "What? Have you-"

"I CHECKED EVERYWHERE!" Saori half-screamed, and started to hyperventilate again. "She left her phone at the bride room, and I can't find her _anywhere!"_ She started to sob again, and Mamoru gently patted her head, trying to calm her down. "It's all right, we'll find her. Just calm down! I'll tell _Oji-san_ and Dad, too, so that we can find her quickly and efficiently, all right?"

Saori sniffled and then nodded. _"H-Hai."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My only selfishness/But that won't come true...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Usagi looked down at the gray rock she sat on, wondering if Mamoru and the others were looking for her.

_"Of course they're looking for me!"_ She thought, her index finger tracing the rather hard texture of the rock. _"But when they find me, I'll just say that I'm not interested. That I know Mamoru doesn't love me, and that this is all just a setup. He's being forced by _Oba-sama _to marry me."_

Usagi thought the words, but she couldn't believe them. The blonde sighed as she rocked back and forth on the rock, looking up at the familiar tree. _"These woods are where I found the little girl stuck up in the tree when Mamoru and I were on our first date."_ She thought, and leaned forward, propping her head on top of her hands, _"That had happened such a long time ago, yet her whimpers still echo so loudly and clearly throughout my ears, as if she's here again..."_

"Usako!"

Usagi's head shot up at the sound of the voice and saw a familiar dark figure running up to her. She blinked, realizing who it was, and then got up, raising her dress so that she could get away. The figure was too quick for her, however, and it caught her hand. "Where are you going?" His voice asked her.

"I'm not interested in marrying you, Mamoru-_baka!"_ Usagi said to him, tugging away from him, but he didn't let go. "I know this is all just a setup! Besides, you said it yourself- you don't understand marriages!"

Mamoru looked at her now, seeing how she looked. She was wearing a beautiful dress, and, according to him, she looked like a porcelain bride doll, yet there was confusion sprawled across her face. "That doesn't mean I don't want to marry you, Odango." He groaned, smacking his forehead with his free palm.

"Don't call me that!" She shrieked, her cerulean eyes glaring at him angrily. "I've told you-"

Mamoru leaned in forward and kissed her, ignoring her surprised expression. He hoped that words that he couldn't speak were being conveyed through it, yet she still didn't seem to understand. When he cut it off, she blinked, a bit shocked by his sudden actions. "B-But...I don't understand-"

"You're right, I don't understand weddings." He told her, resting his hand on her shoulder, and she slightly shivered at the touch of his cool hand as he looked deep into the soft blues of her eyes, "I think that when a couple meets, their love like a kettle of cold water. The two of them try to passionately heat it up together, and keep heating it until the water boils, when their love is finally at it's peak. And then they do the stupid thing. They ask each other: 'Hey, what should we do next?' all the way until marriage. Everything that should've been done is done. The original kettle, which should be hot, is now over-heated, and ends up being dried up, with nothing left. The love is gone." Usagi slightly flinched at this, but let him continue. "They wait until the kettle is burnt. This way, they break up or struggle until the bottom of the kettle has a hole. Nothing is left. The kettle has vanished forever, the water is gone, and the love has ceased to exist. Everything is gone, because marriage has broken all of it."

Usagi looked up at him sadly. "So you're saying you don't love me?" She asked, her voice a bit choked up.

Mamoru gently kissed her head, patting it lightly. "I'm saying the exact opposite. I'll love you more and more. Our water will be kept constantly heated. I'll slowly wait until it boils and then keep it like that so it's always at boiling point."

His small bride looked down, her eyes glued to the grass and her expression in deep thought and confusion. "I...don't understand." She said slowly.

Mamoru smiled. "What it means is I'll keep loving you forever. I'll keep loving you until we're old and wrinkled."

Usagi laughed softly at the thought, her expression now bubbly.

"Do you understand now? Is that good enough, Odango?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, and she nodded. "Yeah! You should've just said that before!" She exclaimed, and Mamoru slightly chuckled.

Usagi then pouted, annoyed. "Is this going to happen a lot? You always kiss me when I'm speaking, which ends up cutting me off. It's not polite to interrupt others, you know, Mamoru-_baka."_

Mamoru smirked at her. "Serves you right." He told her, and then took her hand, gesturing back to the river docks. "Now come on. We have a shrieking mother-in-law to comfort."

"But you saw me before the wedding!" Usagi noted, her eyes large with bewilderment. "What if there's bad luck, now?"

"Trust me, we've had enough bad luck throughout the time we've known each other, Odango."

Usagi "hmph"ed, pulling her hand away from his grasp as she crossed her arms, slightly ticked off. "I told you to stop calling me that, Mamoru-_baka."_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I want to tell you about this impatience...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Welcome, one and all, to the marriage of the handsome Chiba Mamoru and the lovely Tsukino Usagi!" Saori screamed into the megaphone ecstatically, her turquoise eyes gleaming happily as the guests started to sit in the chairs in front of where Mamoru stood, who couldn't believe how obnoxious she was acting. He shook his head, wondering how much longer it would take Usagi and her father to walk down the aisle, because he didn't want to give her another lecture about marriage. Hell, he wasn't even sure if she believed in that cheesy lesson he had given her.

"And here comes the lovely bride herself along with her charming father!" Saori's voice rang out, and Mamoru looked up to see the smiling blonde and her grinning father besides her, her arm resting gently on top of his as he walked her down the aisle while her other held a small bouquet of beautiful red roses. And to top it off, her veil was now covering her face, unlike last time; he felt that, now, she looked more beautiful than when he found her in the woods earlier, and he could not help but stare at her. Mamoru then raised his eyebrow slightly, quite surprised that she hadn't fallen down on her face yet, and he smirked, holding back his quiet laugh and silently reminding himself that he wouldn't tell Usagi later that he was thinking that.

"Mamoru-kun." Mr. Tsukino whispered softly as he looked at his son-in-law, "Please take care of my Usa."

Mamoru nodded. _"Hai,_ I will."

Kenij smiled and then turned to Usagi, who was beaming, and leaned forward, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently on her forehead. "My child, your dream has finally come true." He said, his voice choking up as small tears formed in his brown eyes behind his glasses, "May you forever be happy with Mamoru-kun."

Usagi nodded, kissing her father on the cheek before walking up to Mamoru to join him in front of the priest. She looked up at him, her expression completely excited, but she frowned once she saw his. "Mamo-chan," She whispered, her voice low enough only for her and Mamoru to hear, "You're angry, aren't you?"

"Well, this wedding went on even without my consent, so yes, I am rather upset." He replied. "But since you look so beautiful, I don't care."

Her cheeks tinging a bright red, Usagi giggled softly at the compliment, "You look rather handsome yourself, Mamo-chan." She said.

"Yes, I'm a drop-dead gorgeous cold-hearted bastard, remember?" He asked, reminding her of her words she had spoken such a long time ago, and her face flushed further as he chuckled.

The priest cleared his throat, and Saori ran up to him, shoving her megaphone in his hands before she ran to her husband's side. "Be sure to speak loud and clearly in it!" She exclaimed to the priest over her shoulder, and he blinked, ataken back by the woman's excited expression. He cleared his throat once more as he shook his head, opening his book. "Dear friends. We have gathered here today to-"

"HURRY UP TO THE EXCHANGING RINGS PART ALREADY!" Saori's annoyed voice screamed, and mostly everyone turned around to see her glaring at the priest. Usagi blinked as Mamoru smacked his forehead with his palm, embarrassed. _"Really...she had to say that out loud?"_

Suddenly, something wet fell on top of Usagi's face, and she slowly raised her hand to feel the watery substance on her cheek. She laid her palm out in front of her, and another drop fell on top of it. _"Rain?"_

"I knew it." Mamoru muttered quietly under his breath, and Usagi looked up to see the magnolia clouds crowding the bright blue sky, releasing small droplets of precipitation on everyone.

"It's raining...?" Saori's surprised voice asked, and Mamoru shook his head, knowing this would happen. "HURRY, GET SOME UMBRELLAS!" She shrieked, and started clapping her hands as the priest covered himself with his arm in a weak attempt to shield himself from the rain.

A few moments later, Rei, Minako, Ami and Makoto were beside Usagi, holding up umbrellas to shield her and themselves while Motoki, Jadeite, Kenji and Shingo stood behind Mamoru with their own umbrellas. The priest was holding up his own umbrella, shaking his head to get rid of the water in his strawberry blonde hair. Once again, he cleared his throat and held up the megaphone to his lips. He looked back at the glaring Saori, and nodded frantically, scared to upset her even further. "Chiba Mamoru, do you take Tsukino Usagi to be your lawfully wedded wife in times of health, sickness and promise to love her every minute of your life as long as you both shall live?"

Mamoru looked up at him, nodding. "I do." He responded clearly, taking her left hand in his. Motoki, who was behind him, reached out, his palm holding a small silver ring with a pink heart on it, and Mamoru took it, sliding it onto Usagi's ring finger. and Usagi closed her eyes, feeling her heart skip a few beats as it jumped up and down. _"I'm finally Chiba Mamoru's wife...the Chiba Mamoru who I've admired and loved for six years!"_ She thought happily, her heart starting to race.

"Oi." Mamoru's voice cut her thoughts, and she looked up to see Mamoru rolling his eyes and the priest staring at her. "W-What?" She asked.

"I said, Tsukino Usagi, do you take Chiba Mamoru to be your lawfully wedded husband in times of health, sickness and promise to love him every minute of your life as long as you both shall live?"

Usagi nodded ecstatically, her veil slowly floating up and down with her head. She turned around, and Rei held up a small gold ring, smiling at her. Usagi took the ring from the priestess and slid it onto Mamoru's finger. "I do!" She exclaimed. "I DO!"

The priest smiled at the young bride's enthusiasm. "Then I now pronounce you husband and wife."

_"Ne,_ Mamo-chan!" Usagi piped, turning to her groom. "You've loved me for a long time, haven't you?"

"W-What?" Mamoru demanded, his cheeks turning a bright peach color.

"The second kiss was at the hospital, wasn't it?" Usagi chirped happily, her expression teasing. "When Shingo-kun was admitted? Shingo-kun himself told me!"

Mamoru whipped around to see a sheepish Shingo, who was hiding behind Motoki. He smiled weakly and waved at his older brother, who shook his head and turned back to his laughing bride. "You sneaky little groom!" She giggled, "But you still have to admit it, Mamo-chan!"

"Admit what?"

"Admit that you've loved me for a long time! And that you were crazy about me, too!" She sang excitedly, taking her veil off and putting it behind her odangos.

Mamoru sighed, knowing he was defeated. He could ace the world's hardest tests, babysit and tutor the most annoying children, and withstand ten gangsters at once. But he knew that he would always be defeated by Tsukino Usagi. "I-"

Usagi took his face in her palms and leaned forward as she stood up on her heels, kissing him before she let him speak another word. Her eyes smiled at his, which were blinking in surprise. She cut off the kiss, beaming. "Serves you right!" She told him, slightly imitating his voice, and he chuckled breathlessly. "You sure got me there."

"All right everyone, let's get back to shelter!" Kobayashi called out to everyone. "We know a wedding in the rain may seem romantic, but the poor wedding planners still need to clean everything up in the rain, and the bride and groom don't want to catch a cold before their honeymoon!"

A few scattered chuckles came from the guests as they started to walk along the dock boards path towards the nearby hotel, and Usagi took Mamoru's arm, smiling at him. Mamoru suddenly laughed, and her head cocked to the side. "What is it?"

"I'm just surprised you didn't fall so far." Mamoru chuckled, "Because you're wearing heels, and as I've said before, you and heels equals disaster."

Usagi pouted, and she shook her arm away out of his grasp. "Meanie!" She said, sticking out her tongue. "I'll have you know that your mother helped me with practicing walking in heels! And I've perfected i...IT!" Usagi screamed as she slipped on a small rain puddle, her ponytails dancing around as she waved her arms back and forth to keep her balance. Mamoru quickly grabbed her outstretched arm to help her back onto the docks, but she fell backward towards the water, pulling him in with her, and the two fell into the river.

_SPLASH!_

Usagi shook her head, water shaking off in different directions from her hair as she watched Mamoru rise up, shuddering at the cool touch of the water. He sighed and took Usagi's arms, helping her get up. Usagi then noticed something, and she looked up at him, her eyes shocked. "Wait, Mamo-chan, be careful! I think I'm standing on top of my-"

Mamoru pulled her up quickly, and she screamed again as she fell on top of him, the two of them falling back into the water. "...dress." She ended her sentence quietly, and Mamoru shook his head, sighing again. "So much for perfecting it." He said, but smiled slightly at Usagi, whose bright cerulean eyes sparkled with happiness as she giggled. "I tried my best, isn't that all that matters? I tried my best to catch you, and look where I've gotten!"

"That's true." He nodded as he slowly got up, and she got off of him, continuing to giggle. The blonde started to laugh as she saw his funny expression, his face all wet, and she knelt in the water, wrapping her watery arms around him, not caring that over one-hundred people were watching. He grinned back in the way that she loved so much, and the two leaned in towards each other, resting their lips on each other's as they kissed passionately. Usagi could feel Mamoru wrap his arms around her waist and help her up, not letting her lips go and she breathed in his scent shamelessly, not caring if he could hear her. Much to her slight disappointment, he cut off the kiss, softly nuzzled her cheek with his nose and gently kissed her on the cheek. "Aren't you going to ask?" He asked her in a whisper, and she blinked, confused at his question. "Ask what?"

"If you can stay."

Usagi giggled softly. "Can I stay, Mamo-chan?" She asked, her eyes shining brightly.

"That depends," He said, tapping his chin as he helped her up back onto the dock boards path, "Will you promise to make life exciting?"

"Yes, I promise!" Usagi exclaimed, holding onto his wet tuxedo-ed arm. "I promise to keep life super duper exciting!"

"Then I'll think about it." He smirked.

"Mamo-chan!"

"What is it?" He turned to see her smiling face, her gleaming blue eyes expressing her pure happiness.

"I love you!"

Mamoru chuckled as he patted her odangos. "I love you too, Usako."

And for once, she didn't hate being in love.

**A/N****: Yay! No cliff-hanger this time! ^_^ Sorry if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes I made...I finished this chapter at twelve in the morning.**

**Oh and by the way- this fanfic isn't finished yet. It's like, half-way done now(:**

**Please review! I worked super duper hard on this chapter! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:**** *slowly crawls out underneath my sheets with a sword* I HAVE A SWORD AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT! I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN A WHILE! *sob* HAVE MERCYYYYYYY!**

…**...anyways. Hello everyone! I apologize dearly for not updating for you readers, but guess what! I haven't forgotten about all of you, so yay!**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I'm sooooo happy people are enjoying the story! ^_^ And ****warning****: though this chapter is ****SUPER HURRIED**** and short, there are more sexual references than usual. (; **

**To tell the truth, I'm really disappointed with this chapter. So if you, dear readers, are disappointed as well, I don't blame you one single bit. **

**Here's Chapter 16! I'm sorry it's super short! ENJOY!**

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS!**_

**Chapter 16**

Yawning loudly, Usagi laid back into the comfortable leather, oblivious to the stares she was receiving from nearby passengers. She turned to her left, where Mamoru was sitting in the seat next to her, his chest gently heaving up and down as he slept, a dark blue sleeping mask covering his similar-colored eyes, which she longed to see at the moment. She pursed her lips, wondering whether she should bother him or not, and then slowly reached out, poking him in the shoulder with her index finger. "Maaaamo-chaaaan!" She whispered, continuing to poke him. "Are you awake?"

"No," came his muffled-up, grumbled reply, and she paused her continuous jabbing. "I'm bored!" She complained. "Wake up!" Usagi resumed her poking, and he groaned, turning away from her. "Find something to do." He told her, and she sighed. _"What am I supposed to do...?"_ She thought, upset. Suddenly, a smile crept onto her face as she leaned forward, her fingers crawling on his shoulder. "Oh most honorable Chiba-san," She whispered seductively, moving forward until her lips were an inch away from his ear, ignoring the tug her seatbelt was having around her waist, "The only thing I want to do is _you."_

Her statement had quite the effect she thought it'd have as she popped up. Mamoru quietly coughed as his arm reached up, removing his mask from his face, his navy eyes wide as he raised an eyebrow. Usagi giggled and quickly leaned forward again, gently pecking him on the cheek. Mamoru chuckled and put his night mask back on, returning to his sleep. Usagi pouted again, disappointed that _that_ didn't have the effect she had wanted. _"I'm so bored...and we're going to Hawaii for our honeymoon! At least the trip there should be fun! Right?"_

"Oh my, are you two a couple?"

Usagi turned around to see a brunette waving to her from across the aisle, the turquoise bow in her hair matching the dress she wore and her eyes. Behind her waved a sandy-brown haired male with thick spiral glasses, his fingers short and stubby. Usagi smiled. "Yes! I'm Tsu- Chiba Usagi and this is my hub-" Usagi giggled madly, not believing she was actually using the word, "hubby, Chiba Mamoru."

The brunette giggled as well. "I'm Gurio Naru, and this is my husband, Umino. Nice to meet you." She turned back to her husband, pouting. "Umino, I need some wine and a new magazine! Will you go get me some?"

"Yes, Naru!" Umino happily agreed, and rose from his seat, walking down the aisle to satisfy his wife's needs. Naru turned back to Usagi, but her eyes seemed to be watching the person behind her. "Oh, is that your husband?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes!" Usagi said ecstatically, her eyes bright.

Naru leaned in closer, trying to get a closer look, until her chin was almost reaching Usagi's shoulder. "My, isn't he _handsome!"_ Naru propped her elbows on her armrests, staring dreamily at Mamoru. "How on earth did someone like _you_ manage to grab him?"

"S-Someone like me?" Usagi sweatdropped, a bit taken back by the girl's question. "W-Well, I'm not sure how to put it, but after many years of determination, I guess I finally won his heart.

"So have you guys _done it_ yet?" Naru asked in a half-whisper, raising an eyebrow suspiciously, and Usagi cocked her head to the side, confused. "'Done it'?"

"Yeah, you know!" Naru's turquoise eyes shifted from Mamoru's sleeping form to the blonde's confused expression. "The event that makes our love lives worth living!"

Usagi scratched her head. "Um...exchange gifts during Valentine's?"

Naru smacked her face with her palm. "Yeah, 'gifts'. I mean, have you been alone with him in a bed, do-"

"YOU MEAN SEX?" Usagi squealed loudly, and a majority of the people sitting around them turned around, glaring at Usagi as her wide cerulean eyes stared at an irritated Naru. "Yes, that's what I mean."

"Well, we _have_ been in a bed together," Usagi lowered her voice, trying not to attract any more attention, but Naru simply giggled. "I don't get why he would get in bed with _you!"_ She squeaked, and Usagi felt herself fuming with anger as she was immediately reminded of Rei before the two got married. "What do you mean by that?" Usagi asked slowly, her voice lowering further into a hiss, "Are you implying that he wouldn't be able to love me?"

Naru shrugged, twirling a strand of her light brown hair around her index finger. Raising her eyebrows, she bit her lip as she looked at Usagi's figure. Usagi shifted uncomfortably and Naru laughed again, the sound of her voice simply annoying the blonde. "Not really; I'm just saying I would expect someone like _him_ to end up with a supermodel," She continued to twirl her hair as she pointed to herself and looked away from Usagi, a smug smile creeping onto her face, "Someone like _me._ I mean, look at _you! _At least _I'm_ intelligent, well-endowed, and simply beautiful!"

Gritting her teeth, Usagi could feel her teeth sinking into her lips even further, as she could see where Naru was going with this. "Don't you have a husband?" She asked, and Naru turned to her, shaking her head as she waved her hands dismissively, "Oh Usagi-chan," -it angered Usagi even further that this woman was using a term of endearment towards her- "Haven't you ever heard of 'divorce'? It's a word meaning-"

"I know what it means!" Usagi yelled, and a few passengers turned to stare at her once again. Her cheeks tinged a bright red as she looked away, embarrassed, hoping her action would indicate to the brunette that she did _not_ want to talk to her anymore.

_"But what if Naru's right, though...?"_ She wondered, worried, _"What if Mamo-chan doesn't want to be with me anymore because of other girls like Naru...?"_ She smacked her fist into her palm. _"Well I'll make sure that doesn't happen! He will _not _focus on any other girl but me for this whole week! This I swear!"_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~There's only twenty-four hours in a day...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Sighing, Usagi fell back on the bed, upset.

Of course this would happen. Of course, knowing _her_ luck, this was bound to happen. She promised herself she wouldn't let any woman near Mamoru on their honeymoon. _Their_ honeymoon.

And now Naru, that annoying, squealing, husband-stealing brunette was in the room next to theirs in the hotel, constantly knocking on their door, invading their privacy everytime the atmosphere was getting good. She would always invite the two of them to drinks or a show, tugging Mamoru away from Usagi and leaving her with her husband, Umino. Umino didn't even pull Naru away from Mamoru, but would just quietly apologize under his breath to Usagi for his wife's behavior. What kind of damn husband was he?

And now, the last day of their honeymoon, was here. Usagi hadn't even received a single hug or kiss from Mamoru. Not even a single, "I love you, Usagi." They didn't have _any_ time together, because of that stupid rich girl who kept grabbing Mamoru's arm and pulling him towards her direction.

"_I have to use this last day wisely,"_ Usagi thought, staring at the white ceiling above their room, _"Or else this trip would've been a complete waste."_

She looked over at Mamoru, who was reading a newspaper as he sat in the chair, his navy eyes fixed on the reading. _"Mamo-chan wouldn't leave me...right?"_ She looked back at the bed, and her eyes sparkled as her mind produced an idea. She'd seen it in the movies before, so she probably had an idea of how to execute the plan."This bed is so amazingly soft!" She exclaimed happily, kicking her feet up in the air excitedly, and then let them fall back on the bed, her cerulean eyes watching Mamoru raise an eyebrow as she smiled at him. "Why don't you come over here and feel it, Mamo-chan?" She asked, rubbing one hand against the soft material of the bed, the other wrapping a small strand of her ponytail around it. He then shook his head and turned back to the newspaper, a smirk forming on his lips. "Is this your attempt of seducing me?"

Usagi quickly scrambled up to her knees, her face turning tomato red. "N-No! I-I just w-wanted to see i-if you thought it was s-soft, too, and..." Her voice trailed off, accepting defeat as she quietly nodded, looking down at the bed.

Mamoru smirked again as he straightened the newspaper. A silence followed, and Usagi pursed her lips, nervous. "Mamo-chan..." She began, wondering how she should say the words, and she looked up, pulling her ponytail, "I may not be much, but I'll try to become the perfect wife for you. I'll work hard for you!" She looked back down again, her heart beating faster than a few moments ago, "Please don't leave me." She whispered.

She heard a rustle of the newspaper, and looked up at Mamoru, who was putting it away, his navy eyes looking into hers. "I'm not expecting anything, okay?" He asked calmly, a small smile forming, "Just remain the way you are."

Usagi could feel her worries immediately disappear. Her worries of divorce and cheating immediately vanished, and she ran up to Mamoru, flinging her arms around his neck as her old feelings for him revived, surging through her body as she hugged him. "Thank you, Mamo-chan!" She exclaimed happily, and he laughed as he raised his arms to embrace her back, when-

_KNOCK KNOCK! "Ne,_ Mamoru-kun!" Naru's voice rang against the wood of their door as she knocked her fist against it, and a small growl grew at the back of Usagi's throat. _"Just when things were getting good!"_ She thought angrily, and stormed over to the door as Naru continued to call out to Mamoru. "Open up! I have tickets just for the two of us for that new show! If you want, we can bring our spouses too, but I don't think they'd appreciate the true art of this show, you know, and-"

Usagi opened the door, her cerulean eyes spitting blue fire at the brunette on the other side of the door, who simply giggled as she tried to hide her surprise, but the blonde immediately caught it. "Ah, Usagi-chan! Did you tell Mamo-chan-"

"We're going to be spending the whole day together, thank you," Usagi said in a satisfied tone, "Thanks for the invitation, though!" She then slammed the door loudly and turned back on her heels, grabbing her bag and storming into the bathroom as Mamoru silently chuckled and went back to reading his newspaper.

Naru, however, who was still standing on the other side of the door, stared at the brown wood. " 'Together', huh? Just try that. I _always_ get what I want."

A few moments later, Usagi opened the door happily, her face beaming. Wrapped around her body was a strapless light blue dress, a brown ribbon tied around her waist as her odangoes were covered in pearl barrettes. "I'm ready, Mamo-chan!" She said happily, twirling around, but realized there was no one in the room. She heard a moan from the door on the room on their left- Naru and Umino's room. Most importantly, Naru's room. She could feel anger bubble inside of her and she grabbed the door handle to the door connecting their room to the other and swung it open, seeing Naru lying on the bed as she laid an arm over her forehead. Her other arm was lying by her side. So was Mamoru.

"M-Mamo-chan, what's going on?" She asked, her voice slowly lowering down into a whisper as Mamoru looked up at her, his expression a bit confused and annoyed. Umino walked in the room, adjusting his glasses worriedly as his sweating face expressed his concern. "It seems as if Naru isn't feeling well!"

Naru moaned again, shifting towards Mamoru's body, and Usagi could feel her heart sink. All her hopes of spending the evening with Mamoru alone had been taken, smashed on the floor and stepped on. "B-But we-"

"Where does it hurt, Naru?" Mamoru asked, and Naru pointed at her stomach. "Here." She whispered, and Usagi shook her head as she watched Mamoru's arm stretch towards Naru's stomach. _"No!"_

Naru let out another small moan, and suddenly Usagi couldn't take it anymore. "STOP IT!" She screamed, and three pairs of eyes shifted to her presence, confused. "I don't want you touching other women!" She screamed out, and Mamoru's navy blue eyes darkened angrily as he turned to her. "I can't put up with your stupid little jealousies all the time!" He yelled at her, "If you tend on marrying someone who's becoming a doctor, you should learn to deal with petty things like this!"

Clenching her fists and tears streaming down her cheeks, Usagi turned around and immediately ran out the door, not listening to Umino's calling her name. _"I knew it!"_ She thought angrily as she ran, _"I knew Mamoru didn't love me! He'd rather spend a whole week with that stupid Naru, who's well-endowed, beautiful, intelligent, and everything I'm not! I just knew it!"_

Umino walked to the hallway and watched as the crying blonde ran out, his shocked expression turning to Mamoru. "Mamoru-kun, you should go find her!" He told him, "She might get lost!"

Mamoru shook his head, and then stood up. "Umino, you should go down to the pharmacy and get some aspirin. Your wife just seems to have a simple stomachache from drinking so much this week at those shows."

Umino looked back at the hallway and then nodded before closing the door.

"At last...we're _finally_ alone." A soft voice said seductively, and Mamoru turned around to see Naru, who rose up to her knees and was wrapping her hands around one of his own. "I'm sorry my stupid husband kept interfering, but you know people like him. _Anyways,"_ Her fingers started to crawl up his arm as she spoke, "When you're with Usagi-chan, you can't get in the mood to touch her, can you?" She asked, a glimmer of relief sparkling in her teal eyes, "It's too bad you didn't meet me before her, otherwise you and I'd-"

"Shut up."

Naru looked up, disbelief masking her face. "What?"

"I said shut up. Even if I met you before Usagi, I wouldn't choose you." He pulled his arm away, his icy voice angry, "You don't even compare to Usagi." And with that, he walked away, leaving a shocked Naru sitting on the bed, and ignored Umino when he walked in, as well as the slap he heard thirty seconds later. All he had to do was find Usagi.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It's not enough, not even after a hundred hours...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"_This always happens..."_ Usagi sighed, holding the blue heels in her hands as she continued to walk, ignoring the pain her bare feet were feeling as they walked against the rocky pavement. She had taken them off twenty minutes after she had left the hotel, as her feet didn't want to continue walking in those uncomfortable shoes. _"I always judge too quickly, and now Umino-kun, Naru, and Mamo-chan probably all hate me. I need to apologize."_ She looked back up, noticing that she hadn't recognized any of her surroundings. That too, in _Hawaii,_ a state in a foreign country. _"Uh-oh."_

She looked around, hoping to find a map of some sort, or if there was some kind of way she could let out a loud call for Mamoru. She pursed her lips and wandered around, trying to ignore the stares she was getting from other men, the memory of when Mamoru saved her from that pervert flowing back in her mind. She shivered as she remembered it, and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm as the slight breeze swirled around her. She shuddered again. _"How am I supposed to find my way back?"_ She thought, and started to kick small pebbles on the pavement, upset. "This is the worst honeymoon ever," She whispered sadly, and could feel herself shaking from the sudden cold. "_Where was all this cold coming from? The weatherman didn't indicate there being a cold front coming on tonight, did he?"_ She noticed a small empty park nearby, shuddered again, exhaling quick breaths to warm up her cold fingers, and started walking over to it.

Curling up on the bench, she wrapped her arms around her knees, trying to keep warm. "If this keeps up, my ponytails will end up turning into popsicles!" She mumbled quietly, and looked up at the blue-purple sky. New moon. Of course. "M-Mamo-chan," She whispered quietly, "Where are you? It's a new moon, and I'm so cold, scared, a-and-" Her voice started to choke up as more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Mamo-chan, I miss you!"

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching and screamed as a dark figure appeared. "N-No! Mamo-chan!" She scrambled up to her feet and started to wail, frightened as she backed away. "W-Where are you? I don't want t-to live without you! How a-am I supposed to get out of this f-foreign place alone? I can't s-speak any E-English and I don't know the d-difference between t-their bars and theaters! I-"

"Usako, calm down!" The figure spoke, and Usagi looked closer, watching as it emerged from the shadows and formed a familiar figure. "W-What?" She whispered, and Mamoru walked up to her, wiping the sweat off of his face. "Finally, I found you. Don't ever do that-"

"MAMO-CHAN!" Usagi screamed, running over into his arms, "I-I'm so sorry! I embarrassed you and myself, but I just couldn't help it! I wanted to spend time with you so badly, that I didn't know what to do, and..." She sobbed harder as her face dug into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, patting her gently on the head. "Usako, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have let you run out, but what's good is that I found you." Her shaking started to slow down as his warmth wrapped around her, and she sighed, sniffling as she snuggled closer into him. _"Baka._" He sighed, "I really was worried."

She giggled softly as she settled in his arms, closing her eyes as he helped her walk back to the hotel.

As they entered the hotel room, Usagi bit her lip as she sat on the bed. "Mamo-chan..." She whispered guiltily, "I'm sorry we didn't get to spend any time together on our honeymoon."

Mamoru looked over at her, half-smiling as he glanced over at the clock by the bedside. "We still have three to four more hours until the day is officially done, don't we?" He asked, and she blinked, gasping as she saw where his words were going. "B-But, Mamo-chan, you aren't suggesting-"

"You _did_ say that the only thing you wanted to do was me, didn't you?" He added, smirking as he sat on the bed next to her, and she blushed, her cerulean eyes looking away as she shyly mumbled in agreement. "And don't worry. As I said before," He leaned in and kissed her, "I don't expect anything."

Usagi smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you, Mamo-chan."

**A/N:**** Yaaaaay, I finished! God, this took me SO LONG. Who knew school would hate you so much that you couldn't even LOOK at your Stories folder on your computer? Urgh. Oh well. Now that Thanksgiving break is here, you **_**MAY**_** expect another quick update? I don't know, maybe. (;**

**ACKKKK. I'M SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER SUCKED. I tried really hard to write it quickly, but that ended up in rushing the chapter, and now it sucked. Oh well. Once a crappy writer, always a crappy writer. **

**Review or don't review. I know this chapter was terrible. /3**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:**** YIPPEE, UPDATE! :D Don't you just love those? 'Cuz I most certainly do :3**

**You guys are so sweet! I can't believe some of you guys actually liked the previous chapter! *hugs all of you* You are all so amazing!**

**Without further blabbing, here's chapter 17! **

_**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON OR ITAZURA NA KISS/IT STARTED WITH A KISS!**_

**Chapter 17**

_"YES! Almost two hours left until I get to show Mamo-chan that I can be the most perfect wife ever!"_

Usagi softly giggled as she glanced over at the clock by their bedside, the numbers "4:30" flashing in a dark red hue. She gently laughed again and then turned over on her side to see Mamoru sleeping quietly beside her. She reached out to touch his dark black hair, which was falling perfectly over his face, and she brushed away a bang that was covering his closed eyelids. She could feel her face heat up as she watched him sleep, and half-smiled. They were finally back home, at the Chiba household, where they were greeted with an ecstatic Saori- and an extra room in the house.

_"Don't you just love it?" Saori giggled, her black hair dancing around as she bounced up and down happily. "We had the house re-modeled while you two were on your honeymoon! We took the guest room and merged it with Shingo's old room for you guys, and now Shingo's room is Mamoru's old room!" She clapped her hands, her turquoise eyes gleaming with excitement. "Now Mamoru and his beloved Usa-Usa can stay in the same room!"_

_ Mamoru sweatdropped, smacking his forehead with one palm as he dropped one of their suitcases on the bed. "Ma, for the last time- I don't call her 'Usa-Usa'. That's the most ridiculous name I've ever heard of."_

_ Saori placed her hands on her hips. "Then what _do _you call her, Mamoru? What's your nickname for your beloved wife, huh?" She demanded, and Usagi lightly blushed as she looked away shyly, wondering what her mother-in-law's reaction would be when Mamoru told her what he had been calling her for a while now._

_ "I don't have a nickname for her." He declared firmly. "I just call her Usagi."_

_ Usagi and Saori looked up at him in disbelief. "B-But Mamo-chan, what about-"_

_ "I call you Usagi, don't I?" He asked, his navy eyes showing a surprisingly cold-like expression, frightening her a bit as she cringed a bit. "I don't call you 'Odango' anymore. Or do you prefer I call you that once again?"_

_ Usagi pouted. _"Baka!" _She exclaimed, and put down the suitcase she was holding onto the floor. "But, _okaa-san,_ this is amazing!" She whispered, twirling around as her eyes took in the scene around them. The room was huge- a royal purple-colored bed was set in the middle, and Usagi noticed small red rose petals sprawled across it, turning to Mamoru, who rolled his eyes, annoyed, at his mother, who continued to giggle. The walls were cloud white, with some dark red swirls painted across everywhere, even around the windows and doorframe. "How did you-"_

_ "We got a fancy designer!" Saori said happily, not letting Usagi finish. "And he did a good idea, right?"_

_ "What on Earth did you ask this designer to paint?" Mamoru asked, looking around at the designs on the walls. "It looks like this room was vomited by a teenage girl's shoujo or something."_

_ "Just some romantic things, you know!" Saori twirled around, taking Usagi's hands in hers. "Now, Usagi-chan, you can have lots of fun with your beloved Mamo-Mamo here!" She then leaned in, her turquoise eyes gleaming with mischief. "And you two can...you know." She raised her eyebrows. _

_ Usagi blinked, her cheeks turning beet red. She wasn't exactly sure how to tell her mother-in-law that she wasn't a virgin anymore. _"A-Ano, okaa-san,_ about that..." She could feel her heart beating harder. _

_ Saori cocked her head in confusion for a brief moment. There was a silence, and then loud, congratulating screams erupted from the woman's mouth. "EEEEEPPA! YOU TWO NAUGHTY CHILDREN! I thought you two'd be innocent during the honeymoon and do it here, but Mamoru!" She turned to her eldest son, whose navy blue eyes were extremely murderous as she winked at him. "Great going, you! I mean, how much more close could you get to your wife-"_

_ Something must've snapped in Mamoru, because he then yelled "MA!", and then started to push her out towards the door as she continued to squeal happily about his and Usagi's "happiness with lots of love and warmth". Usagi pursed her lips and cringed further back into a corner, terrified of Mamoru's current state. She watched as he grabbed the suitcases and then put them onto the bed, starting to unpack his and Usagi's things. He then noticed she was standing in the corner, her knees locked together as her cerulean eyes watched him in shock and fear. "Usako?" He asked, raising a dark eyebrow. "Are you alright?"_

_ Usagi blinked. Did he just miss everything that had just happened? Or was he just not in the mood to stand his mother at the time? She silently nodded and then walked over, helping him unpack the remainder of their belongings. _

_ "Then again,"_ Usagi thought, _"He did seem different last night. He didn't even look at me after that incident, as opposed to our last night of our honeymoon..."_ She sighed, starting to remember that night. She remembered how it was the most perfect and wonderful night of her life, and how she swore to herself that she'd never forget it. Giggling quietly, she snuggled further into the soft blanket, closing her eyelids slightly. _"Only a few more hours, Usagi. Only about two more hours until you can show Mamo-chan what a perfect wife you can be. Just a few..." _She yawned silently, her eyelids now drooping. _"...more..."_

And with that, Usagi fell asleep.

_"Oh, my dear Usako. I'll always love you."_

_ Usagi's eyes widened as tiny hearts formed in her blue eyes. "Really, Mamo-chan?" She asked, and he nodded, wrapping his arms around her. "You're always my perfect wife, no matter what you do."_

Mumbling happily at her dream, Usagi turned over. "Mmm..._ohayo,_ Mamo-chan." She mumbled, snuggling into the bed, and extended her arms to hug him, but then realized she was hugging an empty spot. "Mamo-chan?" She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily, yawning, as she turned to the clock. "How many more hours until-"

7:30.

Screaming loudly, Usagi scrambled out of the bed, getting her feet tangled in the sheets and falling as she attempted to get out of the bed. "I'M LATE!" She yelled, and ran to the bathroom, grabbing her toothbrush and toothpaste while trying to find her hairbrush. "Oh no, where did I put it after I unpacked it?" She huffed angrily, turning around frantically. "Where is it-"

"Looking for this?"

Usagi whipped around. There Mamoru was, leaning on the bathroom doorframe, holding up a familiar pink hairbrush with white bunnies on it. She let out a sigh of relief. "Mamo-chan!" She ran over, reaching out her arms to hug him closely, when-

"Hurry up." He said, putting the hairbrush in her extended hands, and then turned away as he walked out the door. "I don't want to be late."

Usagi watched him walk out, her jaw dropping at his actions, and then slumped down to the floor. _"What's wrong with Mamo-chan?"_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If that's the only thing that exists, then...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Half-tumbling down the stairs, Usagi let out a sigh of relief as she saw Mamoru still sitting at the breakfast table, reading. Wiping some sweat off of her forehead, she skipped over happily into the room, her ponytails bouncing up and down with her. _"Ohayo,_ Mamo-chan!" She exclaimed happily, lightly kissed him on the head, and then stuck her cheek forward for him to return the favor.

His eyes continued to read the book in front of him, and Usagi blinked, wondering when he was going to kiss her back and greet her. "Mamo-chan...?"

"_Ohayo."_ He said simply, and she pursed his lips. She then looked around for a seat next to him, but there were none left, as Luna was sleeping peacefully on one chair and Shingo was sitting in the other. She turned to Shingo, her fingers twitching as she tried to speak. _"A-Ano,_ Shingo-kun?"

The young sandy-haired boy grunted his quiet response as he munched on his cereal loudly.

"Can I sit in your spot?"

Shingo looked at her, his eyebrows raised in confusion. "Why?"

She pouted, upset. "Why? Because I want to sit next to Mamo-chan, that's why! And he's _my_ husband!"

"Well, he's _my_ brother!"

Usagi huffed, crossing her arms. "Shingo-kun, why can't you-"

"Because it's my spot, that's why! Maybe if you weren't so lazy to wake up late this morning, this could be your spot!"

Usagi's face flushed a deep red. What was she supposed to respond with? "W-Well, y-you see, I _did_ wake up, b-but the thing was, I sorta...well..." She looked away, remembering about her daydream, her voice trailing off. Shingo shook his head and continued to munch on his cereal.

"Well, I'm off." Mamoru said, getting up, and Usagi blinked. "But I didn't even get to have breakfast yet! You can't go yet!"

"Who said you're supposed to walk with me?" Mamoru asked, still not looking at her as he closed his book and set it in his bag, "Besides, it's your fault for not getting up on time this morning."

"R-Right." She nodded, and she could feel her heart sink. "You're right." She bit her lip, upset. _"What's wrong with Mamo-chan?"_ She wondered, watching him walk out the door, and then realized he was leaving. "Wait, Mamo-chan!" Grabbing her bag, the blonde ran out the door, trying to catch up with her husband. _"Ne, ne,_ Mamo-chan, wait for me! Mamo-"

Mamoru immediately turned around, his dark blue eyes directly looking into hers. "Do you not remember what I told you?" He demanded, and she stopped abruptly, surprised by his words. "W-What?"

"I told you before- walk to school with a different route. I told you that the first time we went to school together." And with that, he turned back away from her, proceeding his walk to school.

Usagi nodded, remembering the frightening encounter with the pervert, how Mamoru had saved her, and how cold she thought he was at the moment. _"Surely he has changed now, knowing that I'm his wife...right?"_ She skipped over to him, "But Mamo-chan, that was when we were in 12th grade! Now we're in University, so-"

"So why would it be any different?" Mamoru asked, continuing to walk, and she blinked. "Well, we have a closer connection now, don't we? And," She halted in front of him, putting her palm up as a "stop" symbol in his face, "Why did you tell _okaa-san_ that you call me 'Usagi'? Why didn't you tell her you call me 'Usako'?"

"I don't want her interfering my relationships with others." He said, and walked around her, only to have her catch up with him and stop him again, her light blue eyes a bit angry. "You mean _our_ relationships." She corrected, "Right?"

"No, I mean _my_ relationships." He said, and walked past her, ignoring her shocked expression.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I will truly find your endless existence to be brilliant...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"...And then, after that, he walked around me, continuing to walk to school without me and ignoring everything I was saying!" Usagi let out a frustrated sigh, her eyes shut tight and her fists clenched. "I mean, what happened? During our honeymoon, he was the nicest he's ever been to me, and now that we're back, he acts as if our marriage didn't even exist! It's like 12th grade all over again!" Sighing angrily, Usagi banged her head against the table, upset. "Sempai, what am I going to do? I hate this!"

Usagi took a deep breath, and then started to rant again as Jadeite sat across her, not really seeming to listen as he drank his coffee. The two were in the University's café, trying to solve Usagi's problem- or, Usagi was trying to solve her problem; Jadeite had just came because Usagi offered to buy his coffee. The uperclassmen shook his head, his blonde hair shaking around his shoulders. "Beats me. Rei seems to go through these types of emotions every month. So Chiba's probably going through his period."

Usagi sweatdropped and looked up at her previous instructor, wondering what he was saying. "Sempai...men don't get..._periods_." She said, confused, but Jadeite waved his hand. "No no, Tsukino, I mean he's probably going through a hard time! You know, recovering from something!"

Usagi slammed her fist on the coffee table, ignoring the stares from nearby people she was getting. "Recovering from _what,_ though?"

Shrugging, Jadeite took a sip from his coffee. "From his period, probably."

The blonde smacked her forehead with her palm, mumbling, annoyed, under her breath. "Nonetheless, did he tell you _anything_ about what's happening in his life that may stress him out? _Anything?"_ She pressed, leaning against the table.

The upperclassmen tapped his finger on his chin, thinking. "Well, there might be _one_ thing..." He said slowly, his eyes staring into deep space, and Usagi's blue eyes widened. "What was it?"

"I mean, he _did_ mention a big project for his father's company, or something." Jadeite said, "He said that it would help support the company majorly after Hime Kakyuu's father refused to give a loan because he married you instead of Kakyuu." He shook his head, "He seemed pretty stressed about it, though."

Usagi blinked, her cheeks turning a dark cherry red. "Oh." was all she could say, and her heart started to hammer. _"Because he married me...?"_ Usagi looked up at Jadeite again, and got up, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. "What else, what else, Sempai?" She demanded.

"Well, I think he said he had to work extra hours at the company after school until his father fully recovered, but I can't entirely remem- Tsukino?" Jadeite looked around, seeing as he was now alone at the table in the café. "Tsukino...?"

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When will we meet again~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Maaaaaaamo-chan!" Usagi's voice rang out as she ran over to Mamoru, jumping onto his arm as she held it tight. "It's after school! And I know where yooooou're going!" She sang happily, and Mamoru gently yanked his arm away, raising a black eyebrow at her expression. "Where, Odango?"

Usagi pouted, stomping her feet angrily on the grass. "I told you to stop calling me that, _baka!"_ She yelled, upset, but then waved it away. "You're going to the company, aren't you?" She asked, and he blinked, looking rather confused. "What-"

"Sempai sorta told me..." Usagi rocked back and forth on her heels, ignoring Mamoru's rolling eyes and his muttering under his breath about a dead upperclassmen. "So?" She asked, her blue eyes excited.

"So...what?" He asked, and she giggled, gently punching him in the arm, "So, when do I get to start?"

"Start _what?"_

"Start helping out you in the company? A wife's gotta help her husband, you know! Like Lady Macbeth and Macbeth!"

"First of all," Mamoru held up his index finger, "Lady Macbeth told Macbeth to kill the king, and because of her, the whole city faced a tragic ending. And second of all," He added another finger to make his second point, "I don't need any help. We have enough help down at the company with Father's employees."

"But Mamo-chan-"

"Just go home. Do your homework for once."

"But Mamo-chan, I need to help you-"

"No, you _don't."_

"But Mamo-chan-"

_"GO!"_

Usagi could feel her lower lip quiver for a moment, and then turned around and dashed away, tears starting to form in her eyes. _"No, no, I will _not_ cry!"_ She thought as she ran, but crystal tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she sniffled. _"Mamo-chan shouldn't _always _be nice to me, or else I'll become spoiled, I know that! I mean-"_

"Ah, Usagi-chan!"

Usagi blinked, realizing she had reached home already, her running seeming to have catalyzed her time to get home. She mumbled a greeting under her breath towards Saori, her ponytails covering her face, and realized her mother-in-law didn't look too happy, either. _"I wonder what Mamo-chan said to her,"_ Usagi thought, and slowly walked to their room, her feet dragging across the carpet as she moved. _"At least I'm still his wife. I mean, it's not like he's going to divorce me or something...as Sempai said, he's going through a tough time right now. I just got to give him some space..."_

That night, Usagi fell onto she and Mamoru's bed, sighing quietly. She had finished her homework like Mamoru had told her to, yet she had a hard time focusing. _"Why wouldn't he want me to help?"_ She thought, _"I know I'm not the best worker ever and I may be a bit ditzy, but still..."_ She sighed again, curling the sheets in with her. _"Yet I know, somewhere deep down, Mamo-chan _does_ love me. There's no way he couldn't-"_

_ SLAM._

Sitting up, Usagi heard an angry female voice, and a familiar masculine one arguing back. Slowly walking over to the doorway, she opened the door a bit, trying to hear the conversation.

"Why haven't you done it yet?" Saori's angry voice asked. "We've all waited for this to happen, yet you _still_ ignore what we ask you to do!"

"I told you," Mamoru replied in an equally leveled tone, "I'll do it _later._ I have to put Father's company back on track, first. So stop trying to push me into _your_ personal desires for yourself."

_"What's going on?"_ Usagi thought, pushing the door further open, _"And why does _okaa-san_ sound so angry? She's never this mad unless it has something to do with me...right...?"_

_"M-My_ personal desires?" Saori squeaked, "Mamoru, do you even _hear_ yourself? Not registering her into our family? What are you waiting for?"

Usagi pushed the door aside, walking over to the kitchen, the source of the commotion, not believing the words she had just heard. There, a shocked Saori and angry Mamoru were standing, watching as Usagi half-stomped, half-walked over to them. "W-What?"

"U-Usagi-chan!" Saori stuttered, "It's nothing, y-you should g-go back-"

"No, no, you were shouting so loud, doesn't she deserve to know?" Mamoru asked coldly, and turned to Usagi. "You're not registered into our family. I haven't done it yet, and I'm probably not going to for a while."

Usagi felt as if the floor underneath her quickly slipped away, and someone had stepped on her heart, her voice dropping to a quiet whisper. "Y-You mean...you mean I'm still Tsukino Usagi?"

**A/N:**** OH NOES, NOT ANOTHER CLIFF-HANGER! :O Oh yes, I'm so evil.**

**Sorry this chapter was shorter than the previous one. Finals are here. Yippee. But my school is over in two days, so you should be expecting another update in the very near future! :D BE PREPAAAAAARED! (Gotta love classic Disney references)**

**Review please!(:**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:**** …erm...hiya.**

**Soooo I guess I lied...this is a super late update, isn't it? I know, I know, THIS IS MADNESS!**

**LoljkthisisPatrick.**

**Haha just kidding. **

**WOOT! Thanks all for all the reviews! (: I'm glad people are hating on Mamoru (wait, no I'm not!). Poor guy, everyone's hating on him (; But don't worry! WinniUsagi is here to make him seem like a super cool dude (for like, three paragraphs)! Hope you enjoy Chapter 18! **

_**I do not own Sailor Moon or Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss.**_

**Chapter 18**

"Yes."

Feeling a huge lump form in her throat, Usagi took a few steps back, her blue eyes wide. "B-But why? Why haven't you registered me yet?"

"I have more important things to do." Mamoru said, and then walked past her to the hallway, ignoring her shocked expression. "B-But Mamo-chan-"

"But nothing. I have more important things to do then fulfill your little demands."

That did it. Usagi could feel her temper rising, and she immediately turned on her heels. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" She demanded, her cerulean eyes spitting fire in his general direction, "During our honeymoon, you were so nice, and now, all of a sudden, you're so different! It's like I don't even _know_ you anymore! For Gods' sake, Mamoru, are you on your _period or something?"_

Mamoru turned around to face her, his expression confused yet annoyed. "What are you-"

"Sempai said it, not me." Usagi said, waving it away, her fists clenched. "What on Earth _happened_ to you? You've been coming home late lately, and you pretend as if I don't even exist! If you're cheating on me or if you're annoyed with me, then just come out and say it, damn it! I'm always the one excited in this relationship, yet you _never_ look at me! You remain cold towards me!"

Instead of arguing back, Mamoru continued to glare at her. "Then just call it quits." He said, and she staggered back further, surprised by his words, "W-What?"

"You're not officially registered into our family yet, so why not just a divorce, right here?" Mamoru continued to walk past her, to their bedroom, muttering _"Baka odango"_ as he brushed past her. Usagi's eyes widened in shock and hurt, feeling her heart sink lower. Her lower lip started to quiver, and then she turned around, glaring at him. "Fine! You could go die for all I care, you cold-hearted bastard!" Her fists clenched tighter, her teeth sinking lower into her lip, "I _hate_ you!"

And with that, she ran out the door, running out towards the one place she knew she'd be loved, ignoring Saori's shouts to come back.

* * *

"That's why I'm saying this: divorce him and marry me, instead!"

"But Seiya, then how will you and I get married?"

"Shut _up_, Kakyuu! I keep telling you: I will _never_ get married to you! I'm forever pledged to Usagi!"

"You can say whatever you want, but you know you will come to me one day!"

Usagi sighed as Kakyuu continued to flirt with a frustrated Seiya, who was trying to comfort the upset blonde. "I don't know, Seiya," She whispered, "He was so different on our honeymoon, and now, he's just..." She looked away from the only worker remaining in her father's restaurant. "I don't know what happened."

Kakyuu rested her hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Usagi-chan, have you considered that maybe he's just going through a hard time right now? He has to transfer back to school, remember? That too, the medical department, and he has to catch up on everything. You can't possibly expect him to juggle both you _and_ his school life _and_ his family life all at the same time, now can you?"

"But that's what I'm supposed to do!" Usagi yelled, slamming her fist onto the table angrily. "I'm supposed to help him juggle all these things! He's not supposed to keep to himself like a curled up animal!"

Kakyuu blinked, and then sighed. "Usagi-chan-"

"Usagi, it's not his fault."

The three sitting in the main dining area of the restaurant turned to see the owner standing by the entrance to the kitchen, his eyes solely focused on Usagi's.

"Papa?"

The man walked over to them and taking off his glasses as he sat in the empty seat next to his daughter, "Saori phoned me and told me what had happened." He said, putting his glasses back on his face, "Usagi, you have to live up to his standards and help him. It's your job as his wife."

Shocked by his sudden tone, Usagi's eyes widened. "But Papa-"

"You're his wife. You can't just expect him to immediately pull you into his arms after everything that's happened so far. He's being responsible. And your constantly wanting attention is making it harder for him."

Usagi bit her lip, fresh tears swarming down her cheeks. "Papa, how could you say that?" She demanded, "I'm not constantly asking for his attention! I'm just requesting that he not become so cold as he used to be!"

"You must help him." Kenji said, his expression serious, "That's the role you took on as his wife, and if you can't take that, then you shouldn't have accepted his proposal in the first place."

The three others stared in shock at the man sitting in the center of the table, wondering if he had just said the words previously spoken. "D-Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Kakyuu asked, but Kenji shook his head, his eyes still watching Usagi. "She must understand her role now."

Usagi got up from her chair, pursing her lips, and then turned away, walking out of the restaurant. "I don't think that made her better." Seiya said, but Kenji shook his head again. "She must understand it."

* * *

"Yep, as I said: just divorce him," Minako responded idly, waving her wrist in Usagi's face, and munching on the chips she was stuffing her face with, "Men are always like that, Usagi-chan, and you should just learn to live independently."

Usagi blinked, surprised by her friend's behavior. This was the girl who usually kept telling her to go for it, to capture her man's heart and not give up until she got it. Ever since she had walked over to Minako's house in the middle of the night two nights ago, asking for a place to stay after the brief fight with her father, her fellow blonde had been acting rather odd. "Erm...Minako-chan? Are you all-"

"That damn bastard!" Minako slammed her fist against the table, making Usagi slightly jump in her seat by the sudden action. "He claimed we weren't 'ready for something more'! What, he thinks he can just do that to me and run off? What's wrong with him? I mean, honestly!" Minako let out a loud growl, attracting attention and glares from some of the nearby college students, and Usagi pursed her lips. "Minako-chan, calm down-"

"Stupid Kunzite!" Minako yelled loudly, and beads of sweat started to form at Usagi's forehead, as more people were watching the two blondes sitting in the courtyard of their college. "What, he thinks he can just leave me? Well I'll show him! I'm Aino Minako, the child of love, dammit! I'LL SHOW HIM WHO HE'S MESSING WITH!"

"Minako-chan-"

"WHAT?"

"Please calm down," Usagi pleaded, "People are starting to stare."

Minako blinked, and then looked around, her previously-oblivious blue eyes now filling with realization that she had been attracting lots of attention to herself with her rant, and she sat down silently, her cheeks turning a bright peach. "Sorry," She mumbled, and then sighed as she twisted a strand of blonde hair around her index finger, "But honestly, Usagi-chan. Mamoru-san hasn't been really showing any interest in you, lately. Are you sure he's not having second thoughts? Especially with what happened after your honeymoon?"

Usagi shrugged. "I don't know anymore. It just confuses me further, and you're probably the fifth person I've told this to-"

"Usagi-chan, honestly." Minako reached out and rested her hand on her friend's shoulder, her voice gentle, "If you're really that concerned about it, then just ask him. How hard could it be to ask him a simple question?"

"You don't understand," Usagi mumbled, resting her head on the coffee table and closing her eyes, "This is Chiba Mamoru we're talking about. I don't know if he's on his period or something, but his expressions are just really hard to read."

Minako started to choke a bit on her coffee. "W-What Usagi-chan?" She spat out the bits of coffee in the opposite direction, her expression shocked. "Did you just say Mamoru-san's on his-"

"Sempai said it, not me." Usagi continued in the same monotone voice, and Minako rolled her eyes as she patted her friend's head again. _"Of course, the under-graduated tennis instructor. I can't wait to see how he further corrupts her mind."_

"Oh, look at that limo!"

"Is that him?"

"Of course, it'd be _him,_ coming back for his beloved wifey."

"Erm...Usagi-chan?" Minako asked, looking up at where the surrounding students were pointing, "There's something you might want to see..."

"Not now, Minako-chan," Usagi grumbled, rolling her head over, "I'm in a miserable state, as my marriage might break because I was too selfish." She groaned and turned over. "I wouldn't be surprised if Mamo-chan wanted to divorce me."

"Usagi-chan, I really think-"

"I mean, who would wanna be stuck with me for the rest of their life, anyways?" Usagi asked, small tears forming in her eyes, and she sniffled as she tried to wipe them away, sinking further in her crossed arms. "Oh damn it, Papa was right! I was being too selfish and now I can't even fix it!"

"Usagi-chan-"

"WHAT?" Usagi got up and turned to Minako, her blue eyes now blazing. Minako raised a shaky index finger to point at the object behind her, now scared of the odango-ed teenager. Usagi slowly turned around, a dark black tuxedo directly five inches in front of her face. She pursed her lips, unsure. _"Can it be?"_

Looking up, her light cerulean eyes met with familiar dark navy ones that had the same cold, hard features in them that she hadn't seen since a few days ago. Trying to find her voice but ending up failing, she blinked again, speechless. "H-Hi."

"Hey."

A few crowds were forming around the couple as they stared at each other for a while, and Usagi looked down, pulling gently on her ponytail. "Why are you here?"

"Come with me," Mamoru said, taking her arm gently yet firmly, and started to half-drag, half-pull her.

"Where are we going?" She asked, a bit surprised by what was going on, her feet dragging on the sidewalk as he pulled her towards the gates.

"To a hotel."

Usagi's face fumed up, and she started to laugh nervously as a few wolf whistles were sound. "At this time of day? W-Wait, Mamo-chan, w-why are we g-going to _do it_ at a hotel at this hour-"

_"Baka,_ we're not going to a hotel for romance," Mamoru replied, shaking his head.

"But you're dressed up in a tuxedo, and I'm..." Usagi looked down and noticed she was wearing a pair of jeans and her tennis sweater, "not dressed formally, so shouldn't I go change or something?"

"No, we don't have time." Mamoru said, and stopped, walking to the other side of the limo. Usagi's jaw dropped. "A-A limo? Mamo-chan, what's going on?"

Mamoru looked at her for a moment, and then smiled a bit. "You'll see."

* * *

"Now will you tell me?" Usagi demanded, and Mamoru opened the cream-colored door, revealing a large conference room filled with people dressed in fancy, sparkling clothing. What seemed to be about 300 pairs of eyes turned to look at her, and a blinding spotlight immediately lit up her face. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the stars have arrived!" A voice announced, and everyone in the room cheered.

Usagi blinked as the light continued to shine with multicolored bulbs, illuminating the entire room with different shades, the ecstatic cheering of the audience, and looked up at Mamoru, who smiled slightly at her confused expression. "Just go with it." He said, and she nodded slowly, turning back to the crowd, smiling and waving weakly.

"And now, let's welcome our stars, shall we?" The voice asked, and more cheering sounded throughout the room. Mamoru took Usagi's hand, whispering "Let's go" in her ear, and lead her up to the stage, the light following them as they walked. Usagi noticed Kobayashi standing up on stage as well, and as Mamoru let go of her hand once they reached the top of the stairs, she ran up to him, her eyes wide. "Uncle Koba, what's going on?" She asked in a whisper, and he smiled. "Ah, Usagi-chan! Nice to see you here!" He greeted, and then patted her on the back. "Mamoru's just about to give a speech about his new game."

"N-New game?" Usagi asked, and he nodded. "Didn't he tell you about it? I'm surprised he didn't, as he'd been working on it non-stop for the past few days, especially after you guys got back from your honeymoon." Kobayashi shook his head, his expression worried. "He actually developed the plot and everything when he started working at the company before his and Kakyuu's engagement, but he's been developing and adding the final touches these past few days. He's probably dead-tired right now. I even insisted that I could call your school so they could give you a message to come down here, but," He winked, "Mamoru said he'd get you personally."

Usagi blushed a dark red color, and looked up, guilt slowly eating her alive. _"He's been working so hard, and all I have done is made it worse. God, what have I done?"_ She looked up and saw a giant, dark blue poster hanging near the stage, where a picture of a blonde with the same Odango hairstyle was drawn with sparkles flying around her and a moon in the background. The girl wore a white sailor outfit with red bows and a blue skirt, her gloved hands striking up a pose as she held up what seemed to be some sort of a scepter.

"The name of this new video game is _Bishojo Senshi Sera Mun;_ Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon," Mamoru spoke into the microphone, "And it's about a teenage warrior of the moon who fights monsters in the night to protect the Earth, and is saved by a masked hero whenever she gets in trouble. Although she possesses amazing qualities, she can't seem to get a boyfriend."

Usagi's breath immediately stopped. _"Did he just say...?"_

_"Wouldn't it be amazing if Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion were re-incarnated onto Earth?" Usagi asked, watching as the waves continued to dance in the wind. After Usagi had fallen in the sand from her little dance earlier, the two decided to continue watching the peaceful scenery in front of them at the hot springs in Osaka. "Then their love would be everlasting, and they could still be with each other."_

_ "Odango, didn't we discuss this?" Mamoru asked, rolling his eyes. "Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion's tale is just a myth. It's not real."_

_ "Yes it is!" Usagi protested, and immediately got up, glaring down at him. "Don't you believe in the story of their love? And what makes you think they can't? Princess Serenity could've become a warrior of the moon, and Prince Endymion..." She clasped her hands together, hearts forming in her eyes, "could've been her savior, always saving her from evil wherever it comes to threaten her!"_

_ Mamoru laughed. "You've been reading way too many romance novels, Odango."_

_ "Well it's true! And stop calling me Odango!"_

"And here's the person without whom this game wouldn't have been imagined," The announcer turned and gestured at Usagi. "Tsukino Usagi, A.K.A. Sailor Moon, herself! Usagi-san is the model for the character and without her, the inspiration for the Sailor Moon game would've never started. Please come forward, Usagi-san!"

Usagi blinked as the spotlight re-covered her in its' brightness, and laughed nervously while murmurs of agreement came from the audience as they looked at her and the picture of the video game heroine on the large poster.

"She looks exactly like Sailor Moon!"

"But why that ridiculous hairstyle...?"

"Maybe they're the same person?"

"Who knows!"

Usagi started to walk towards Mamoru, her face blushing a darker tomato red, and turned to see him speaking into the microphone."

"Let me introduce you to my wife, Chiba Usagi."

Total silence engulfed the entire room, and Usagi's eyes widened. Mamoru smirked at her reaction and handed her the microphone. "Here, say hello."

Shakily extending out her arm, Usagi took it and gulped, bringing it up to her face. "U-Um, h-hello everyone." Usagi gulped again. What on Earth did Mamoru expect her to say? She had no inkling of this game or anything Mamoru had been doing for the past few weeks, so what was she supposed to say? "I-I hope this game is a success, as Mamo-ch-Mamoru worked really hard on it!"

Usagi bowed and then placed the microphone back on the stand, chuckling nervously. A few people in the audience laughed along with her, and then an applause broke out, causing her to look away in embarrassment.

"Usako."

Usagi looked up at Mamoru, his eyes shining at hers as he took her hands in his. "Long time no see."

* * *

"I resigned from the company today." Mamoru said, and Usagi popped up from behind the bathroom door, her expression confused as she continued to unpack her belongings. "Really?"

"Yeah," He nodded, sitting on their bed and setting his backpack on it. "There are still a few more loose ends that need to be fixed, but I should be able to return to University in two weeks."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Does that mean you'll go back to studying to be a doctor again?"

"Mhm."

"Really?"

"Geez, Odango. Are you deaf or something?"

"No!" Usagi pouted. "And I thought I told you not to call me that!"

Mamoru chuckled, and Usagi smiled, walking over to the bed and sitting beside him. As if remembering something, he turned around and opened his backpack, as if searching for something, and pulled it out, placing it in Usagi's hands. Usagi brought it up to her face, where the words "MARRIAGE REGISTRATION FORM" read clearly on the top of the crisp white paper in black ink. She looked up at him. "Is this...?"

"I told you I'd marry you after I brought my father's family back up on it's feet, didn't I?" He asked, and her heartbeat started to accelerate. "Mamo-chan..." She leaned in towards him, closing her eyes, and the two kissed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning against his frame, she let out a content sigh, and his lips brushed against her cheek. "I missed you." He whispered, and she smiled. "I missed you too-"

A gentle snore interrupted her, and she blinked, opening her eyes to see he had already fallen asleep. Softly giggling, the blonde pulled up the sheets and covered him with it, gently kissing him on the head as she laid down beside him. _"I love you, Mamo-chan."_

* * *

"Ah, _konnichiwa,_ Usagi-san!" The secretary cheerfully greeted her, and Usagi smiled. _"Konnichiwa,_ Mari-san! I was wondering if Mamo-chan had already left the department or not," She held up the bright yellow book in her hands to show the woman, "He left this back home, so I've come to return it!"

"Oh, how kind." Mari smiled, "I'm not sure if Mamoru-san has left or not, because the medical students are having their presentations right now, so he may or may've not presented yet." The elderly woman pushed up her glasses and shrugged. "If you want, you can go check if he's finished."

Usagi blinked. She had never actually _been_ inside the medical department of the University for the past four weeks Mamoru had been in the school; she'd been just by the gates. "Oh, okay. Where would he be?"

"Down the hall, and then take a right, then a right, and the door on the left which says 'Conference Room #4AC' should be it."

Usagi gulped, and then nodded. "Okay, thank you Mari-san!" She started down the hall and took a right, but then realized the entire area was an utter and complete maze. "E-Eh?" She whispered to herself, confused, and looked at the door nameplates in hopes that one of them would be a conference room, but they all said either "Testing Room" or "Lab Room". She bit her lip and looked around, the plain white walls of the hall confusing her and she pulled on her ponytail, lost.

"Are you lost, miss?"

Usagi turned around to see a man about her age with navy blue hair and glasses, wearing a white lab coat as he watched her. "Are you looking for someone or some place in particular?"

"Yes, I'm trying to find where Conference Room 4AC is," Usagi said, walking up to the man.

After a brief moment, the man nodded and turned, starting to walk down the hallway. "Follow me, miss."

Usagi, not sure whether to be freaked by the mysterious guy or to remain lost, followed him until he reached a brown wood door, where, on a steel nameplate beside it, were the words "CONFERENCE ROOM 4AC" engraved on it. Usagi let out a sigh of relief, wiping off the sweat from her forehead. _"Arigatou,_ mister! For a second there I seriously thought I was going to be lost, but you helped me! _Arigatou!"_

"It's no problem," The man said, and turned to open the door, but then stopped and looked back at Usagi. "Say, you wouldn't happen to be Chiba's wife, would you?"

**A/N:**** Yay, another cliffy XD At least I finally got this chapter out! :O**

**I hope you guys liked it! It was fun to write and I'm super sorry if there are any grammatical or spelling errors. I finished writing this at 12:30 A.M. You have no idea what school does to a person's soul. /sigh**

**Enrich this soul and review please! :3**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:**** Thank you all for your support! :D I'm happy people like the story! ^^**

**Enjoy Chapter 19! **

_**I do not own Sailor Moon or Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss.**_

**Chapter 19**

Usagi's expression brightened happily. _"Perhaps this man realized intelligence emitting from me! Or he thinks that I look like Mamo-chan's ideal partner!"_ Usagi clutched the book tightly to her chest, excited, and quickly ran a hand through one of her blonde ponytails, blushing brightly. "Why, yes I am! How on Earth did you know?"

The man pushed his glasses up his pale nose, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Well, I heard that Chiba's wife was the total opposite of him, and I saw you walking around dumbly," He shrugged, "So I took a shot at it."

Usagi staggered back, shocked by the response. "What?" She yelled angrily, her cheeks flushing a dark red from her immediate dislike for this medical student's personality, "That was totally uncalled for, you...you...student! I'll have you know I'm studying in the literature section, and-"

"Usako?"

Usagi turned around and saw Mamoru standing behind them, wearing his white lab coat as he looked back at her and the man beside her, both confused and surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you forgot this book at home!" She extended her arms, handing the book to him, and smiled brightly as happiness overcame her. "No need to thank me, as a wife should _always_ aid her husband in times of need, and-"

"I left a cooking book at home?" He asked as he read the title, and raised an eyebrow as Usagi immediately turned on her heels, her eyes wide. "W-What?" She squeaked in disbelief, her voice rather soft.

Mamoru turned the book around so that she could view the front, where the words "HOW TO COOK A FISH FOR BEGINNERS" were printed on the cover. She blinked, and then smacked her forehead, her stomach sinking lower and lower. "Oh no! I must've picked up the wrong book!"

"No way." Mamoru muttered sarcastically, and Usagi snatched the book back, frantically trying to think of what to do. "I'll go back and get it from the house! You should just wait here as I go get it, all right?"

"No, it's fine." Mamoru shook his head, "If you're referring to my Hippocrates book about medical engineering, then I'm fine, because I don't need it today."

" 'H-Hypocrityes medical what'...?" Usagi repeated slowly, "Wait, what?"

The man started to chuckle, his pale face starting to turn a bit red from laughter. "Of all the things, I never thought _this_ would happen." He looked at Usagi, his dark eyes gleaming with pure amusement. "Chiba Mamoru, the so-called genius of this county, married a ditzy, idiotic girl from the literature section and high school's Class F?" He turned to Mamoru, a disgustingly smug grin on his face, "Well, I can see you're no genius in picking a life partner, Chiba. I mean, honestly?"

"WHAT?" Usagi stomped her foot. _"That,_ right there, mister, is too much! Don't you have any shame? Don't talk as if I have no mind or heart, because that's all hurtful! It's not like I'm not human!"

"You're right, Saphir."

"W-What?" Usagi looked up at Mamoru, shocked. "Mamo-chan, what are you saying?" She started to pull on his sleeve, upset, "Don't agree with him!"

Saphir smirked again, his expression remaining amused. "Well, you little girl, it looks like he agrees with him, so-"

"However, I don't think you should be talking, Saphir," Mamoru added coolly, "I don't think you're able to discern the true nature of things. I mean, speaking from _your_ position."

The question seemed to have caught the bluenette off guard, as his smug smile immediately turned sour, and he glared at Mamoru, his eyes spitting fire. "Mark my words, Chiba. I _will_ be first place at the next graded presentation! I will not lose to you and be an embarrassing second place!" He then glanced at Usagi, his sapphire eyes scaring her a bit. "And even if you do, I doubt your little squeeze can become a prize wife, working stupidly in the literature section. She'll never become anything worthwhile."

And with that, Saphir quickly disappeared behind the door labeled "4AC", leaving an upset Usagi to grip at the Mamoru's arm more tightly, who patted her head gently. "C'mon, let's go."

* * *

"What does he mean, 'little squeeze can't become a prize wife'?" Usagi demanded under her breath angrily, flipping through the large stack of books on the wooden desk pointedly, oblivious to the shocked and scared stares she was receiving from the surrounding readers in the library. "I'll show that stupid Saphir- hell, I'll show _everyone_ that I can become a wife good enough for Mamo-chan! I _will_ become a wife that's worthy of him!" Usagi half-threw, half-placed the finished book on her left, making a few of the people around her bounce in their seats, surprised by the sudden sound, and she grabbed another from the stack on her right, reading the title.

_The Nightingale Pledge: The Common Nurse's Guide to How to Choose Your Right Role by the Doctor's Side._

Usagi blinked, and ran her fingers over the words. _" 'Nurse Usagi'?"_

Flipping over through the cover, Usagi looked at a few of the pages, where tiny black inked words seemed to blur and mesh in together. _"So many words..."_ She thought, but then shook her head, turning a few more pages into the book. Illustrated diagrams covered a few of the pages, with small steps indicating each image and item, and others contained lists with different types of materials often found in hospitals. Usagi pursed her lips, and then turned to place it in the reject pile, but then stopped right when she took a glance at the last page before closed the book.

_ "...__With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care."_

Usagi blinked, running her fingers over it again, and then slowly rose up out of her seat, walking up to the stunned librarian and handing the book to her. "I'd like to check out this book, please!"

Later that night, Mamoru was surprised to see the petite blonde lying on their bed, her arms crossed over a book and her cerulean eyes gleaming determinedly at the pages in front of her as she read. It seems there were no colorful pictures on the pages, and the print was small to read. "Wow, Odango. You're reading a book that isn't a fairytale. Never thought I'd live to see the day."

Usagi glanced up at him, stuck out her tongue playfully, and then immediately returned to the book, much to his further surprise. Usagi, not yelling back at him or chirping excitedly about her day at University? Something was definitely wrong. He walked over to the bed and looked down at the title of the book.

_The Nightingale Pledge: The Common Nurse's Guide to How to Choose Your Right Role by the Doctor's Side._

"_A nursing book?"_ Mamoru thought, and sat on the bed next to her, watching her as she continued to read it, her eyes glued onto the book. "You want to take up _nursing?"_ He blurted, and she looked up, grinning. "Yes! I want to show you how capable I am of being a good wife worthy for you!"

Mamoru laughed. "This isn't because of what Saphir said, is it?" He asked, and Usagi looked back at the pages, as if trying to distract that thought from her mind. He tapped his finger on his chin, and then smirked. "Of course. Someone insults Odango, and she tries to not only get back at them, but to prove them wrong as well. Very classy."

Usagi pouted, looking up from the book again. "I've told you before not to call me that!" She exclaimed, but Mamoru only chuckled again. "Usako, you're fine enough the way you are. You don't have to prove anything to me."

Biting her lip, Usagi smiled at him, her eyes shining. _"Arigatou,_ Mamo-chan," She thanked gratefully, "But I still want to do this."

Mamoru nodded and then turned on his side. _"And that's what I love about you. Once you set your mind to something, it'll take more than the strength of the whole universe to put you down."_ He yawned. "Don't you think it'll be a bit hard, though?" He asked.

"What will?"

"Changing departments so quickly, having to catch up with the others, learning medical terms," He turned over to glance at her, "Won't it be a bit difficult?"

"Are you suggesting I can't?" She demanded, scowling a bit, waving the book in front of his eyes, "Because I promise, I _will_ learn these nursing terms, and I _will_ become a nurse! Besides," Her expression softened, "You did it. So why can't I?"

Mamoru didn't have an answer to that, so he shrugged and turned back on his side. "All right."

A strange silence followed, and Usagi shifted uncomfortably in her seat. _"Ne,_ Mamo-chan?"

"Mm?"

"I was wondering..." Her fingers fidgeted awkwardly as she glanced at him, "Could we go on a date someday? We never really got to after you..." She giggled quietly, "...proposed."

"How about this: I take you on a date if you pass the nursing exam and get into the nursing department?"

Usagi brightened. "Really? Thank you, Mamo-chan!" She kissed him on the head and went back to reading, more determined than ever.

* * *

Bursts of loud laughter screamed from the cafeteria as Usagi pouted at her two constantly giggling friends, who couldn't control their reactions at the news they had just heard escape from her lips.

"I'm sorry, but did you just say you wanted to become a _nurse?"_ Minako asked, her voice gasping for air, and Usagi nodded, a scowl remaining on her face. "Yes! And stop laughing, both of you!"

"S-Sorry Usagi-chan!" Makoto gasped, "But you know..._you_ in the nursing department?" The two of them erupted into laughter again, and Usagi could tell even Ami was chuckling lightly from behind her book. "Usagi-chan, you can barely stand looking at an injection needle, how will you manage to give other people simple flu shots? You'd pass out before you even got your gloves on!"

"Stop it!" Usagi rose and then hit the two of them with her book, "I _can_ and _will_ become a nurse! I've already filled out the department exchange form, and all I have to do is take a test tomorrow and pass!" She slammed her fist against the table, rattling the lunches sitting on it. "Why on Earth don't you think I can't do it? Anyone can do anything once they set their mind to it! It also sounds rather fun, getting to interact with patients and taking care of others, and working with Mamo-chan..." Hearts began to gleam in her eyes as she clasped her hands together, "Mamo-chan..."

"F-Fun? Usagi-chan," Minako began, starting to calm down a bit as she took a bite of her lunch, "You know what people say about the literature section. We were all Class E and F students at our high schools, and we either went here or didn't go anywhere with our careers. We're considered the drop-out class. There has _never_ been a Class F student to make it to anywhere other than the literature department at any University, and..." Her smile faded a bit, "We don't want your dreams crushed, y'know?"

Usagi bit her lip. _"Was this a bad idea?"_ She sighed and looked down at the book, which was resting on her lap. _"No, no it's not! I can do this!" _She looked back up at her friends. "Well, didn't people say that no Class F student ever made the Top 100 before?" She asked softly, "And I made it, didn't I?"

"Usagi-chan, that was because Mamoru-san tutored you, though." Makoto reminded her.

"But I still made it!" She said, slowly rising from her seat, "It's not like he was next to me, whispering the answers to me! He tutored me, and I took some part in the process, too! Mamo-chan was the catalyst in my education!"

"...The _what?"_

"The catalyst! It's a substance that can help quicken the process of something without directly participating in it!"

Three pairs of wide eyes stared at her as she stood there, not believing the words that had just flitted out of her mouth, and staring at her in shock. "Now if you'll excuse me," She pushed her chair in, starting to skip away from the three surprised girls, "I need to get back to studying!"

After a few moments of silence, Ami cleared her throat. "D-Did I just hear science words come out of her mouth?" She asked, her blue eyes wide, and Makoto slowly nodded. "Y-Yeah, I guess you did."

Minako sighed and laid back in her chair comfortably, slurping her milkshake. "My, my. I guess she really was serious." She sighed, "Love really does make the impossible impossible, doesn't it?"

"Minako-chan, the proper saying is 'Love makes the impossible possible'." Ami said, looking up from her book, but Minako waved her hand, as if brushing it off. "Oh Ami-chan! Is your last name 'Aino'? No! Therefore you know nothing of love and what it does to the tiniest of bunnies!"

"But Minako-chan-"

"No buts! I can see where Usagi-chan is headed!" She got up, one foot on the table and the other on her seat as she took on a divine-like pose. "My name means 'child of love', and I can see that Usagi-chan is going to do rather well!"

* * *

"I did it! I did it, did it, did it!" Usagi sang happily as she skipped down the white hallways of the medical department, swinging her arms back and forth, her ponytails trailing behind her as she danced and twirled enthusiastically. "Mamo-chan, I paaaaassed!"

"Good for you." A miserable voice mumbled, and Usagi turned around, seeing a figure crumpled up by the coffee machine. She slowly approached it, surprised to see Saphir sitting in the corner, his expression a mixture of bitter anger and extreme sadness.

"Saphir-kun?" She asked, and bent down to his eye level, placing the two sodas she bought on the floor. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, except that Chiba beat me again!" He slammed his fist against the wall, more tears streaming down his pale cheeks. "I just don't understand! I was always first before University, and now..." He sniffled angrily, "Urgh, I hate that Chiba Mamoru! How does he always get first?"

"Calm down!" Usagi tried to place her hand on his shoulder comfortingly, but he shrugged it off. "I just don't understand."

"Well, maybe you're just putting all of your effort into the wrong thing." She whispered, and then shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe you keep losing to Mamo-chan because you're only working to win against him," Usagi said, "You're not putting your intelligence to it's full capacity. You're not working for the presentation, you're working to beat him."

Saphir blinked for a moment, and then nodded. "Perhaps you're right." He said, and took off his glasses, wiping his eyes. Usagi picked up one of the sodas and handed it to him. "Here, this was for Mamo-chan, but I can buy him another one."

The bluenette glanced at the cylinder for a moment, but then nodded and took it, smiling slightly. _"Arigatou."_ He opened the soda and took a light sip, his gaze not leaving hers "Very kind of you, even after I was so rude to you earlier," He cleared this throat, "So, why are you here?"

"I passed my nursing exam, and I wanted to let Mamo-chan know so we could celebrate!" Usagi said brightly.

Saphir's eyes widened. She had tried to take up nursing? "Oh, the results are out already?"

"Nope, but I'm pretty sure I did!"

"Good for you, erm..." Saphir tapped on his chin, trying to remember what Mamoru had called her the other day, "Miss 'Usako'."

"Don't call me that!" Usagi stuck out her tongue, "Only Mamo-chan can call me that! But you can call me Usagi."

Saphir laughed softly. "Your 'Mamo-chan', huh?" He looked up at her. "You and Chiba seem to be very close."

"Of course we are!" She grinned, "He's my beloved husband, and now we'll get to work together in similar departments!"

Saphir nodded. "I wonder..." He muttered, his eyes full of deep thought, and looked away.

Usagi leaned forward, trying to hear what he was whispering under his breath, "Wonder what?" She asked curiously.

"I wonder what would happen to Chiba if I kissed you."

Usagi staggered back, her eyes wide by the sudden question. "W-What?"

"Would he react?" Saphir asked, his dark eyes gleaming, and Usagi immediately got up, frightened. "S-Saphir-kun, what are you doing?"

"Would he crack?" He asked in the same interested tone, as he got up and followed her, "I've always wondered what it was like to see if Chiba Mamoru cracked because I did something like kiss his wife. I've always wanted to see the gleam of jealousy in his eyes, or hurt feelings breaking his heart."

Usagi pursed her lips and shook her head as she felt bare wall touch the back of her spine, much to her alarm. "Saphir-kun, this isn't you! Remember, this won't solve your problem against Mamo-chan!"

"It doesn't hurt to experiment," He hissed, and leaned forward.

"N-No, Saphir-kun," She tried to push him away, but Saphir kept her hands captive in his iron lock as he leaned further towards her face, and she closed her eyes, screaming, "MAMO-CHAN!"

Suddenly a force grabbed Saphir from behind and yanked him back, freeing Usagi from his grasp. Saphir fell back onto the ground and saw Mamoru's icy blue eyes glaring at him as he walked in front of Usagi, who hid behind him. "You've got to do something about that twisted mind of yours, Saphir."

"How would you know how this feels?" Saphir demanded, "Up until University, I was number one, and everyone praised me! Now I'm forever going to be in your shadow, never number one again!"

Mamoru sighed. "Listen, Saphir. You're smart, one of the top medical students here, and you're crumbling because of me being first? Honestly, the real challenge doesn't start until we're in society, as real professionals. And for all I know, you could be a great surgeon someday, with your great use of a scalpel."

A long silence followed, and Saphir stood up, his expression a bit softer. "You think so?"

Mamoru nodded. "Yes."

"I believe in you, Saphir-kun!" Usagi brought up her fist in a cheering manner, "You can do it!"

Saphir smiled as he put his glasses back on. "I think I understand now, why you chose Usagi, Mamoru-san." He turned to Usagi and took her hands in his, grinning, "Usagi-san, I deeply apologize for all the rudeness and impertinence I showed towards you earlier. Please forgive me! And good luck in your nursing career!"

"Sure!" Usagi patted his hands gently, "I'm so glad for you, and I wish you luck in your career too, Saphir-kun!"

"But of course, you'll always be second place to me," Mamoru added bitterly, turning away, "Even if you do become a doctor in the future."

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi hit him on the arm as she looked at him in disbelief, "What are you doing? Things are getting back to where they started! Don't you have any sympathy for Saphir-kun?"

Mamoru shrugged, and turned to Saphir, his arms crossed. "Second place, second place, second place."

"Shut up!" Saphir yelled, "You just watch, I'm going to become the best surgeon in Japan!"

"That's good," Mamoru smiled, signaling Usagi to come over, "Because I'm not going to become a surgeon. So our rivalry will only last until the end of University. Good luck." He waved at a wary Saphir, who blinked in shock. "W-Wait, tell me which field you're going into! Internal Medicine? Neurology? Chiba, tell me!"

Mamoru chuckled, "Let's go see your results. They should've been posted by now."

* * *

"All right, now I'm scared!"

"For what?"

"What if I didn't make it?"

"For Gods' sake, Usako, didn't you say you felt as if you did well?"

"Yes, but you never know! It could be one of those times where a person felt confident about getting at least a ninety percent, but then ended up getting, like, forty percent or something! I don't want to be that person!"

As the two of them walked in the evening sunset, Usagi clutched onto Mamoru's arm as if for dear life, whimpering under her breath about not making it. "Usako, just look at the list!" He scolded as they stopped, and then turned to look at the board, pointing at the list where the words "NURSING EXAM RESULTS" were printed. "Look, I bet you did fine, and-" He stopped halfway in his sentence, and Usagi gripped harder on his jacket, looking away as her eyes shut. "How bad is it?" She asked, frightened, but he didn't respond. "Mamo-chan...?" She turned to look at the board.

_#1 - Tsukino Usagi - 98%_

"F-First place...?" She stammered, and she could feel his arm wrap around her shoulders towards him comfortingly. "M-Mamo-chan...I m-made first!"

"I know," Mamoru said calmly, and then looked down at her. "Well, now I have to keep my promise."

Usagi blinked, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. "What promise?"

Mamoru laughed and started to walk, ignoring her confused expression. "I have to take you on a date, now, don't I?"

"R-Really?" Usagi grabbed his free arm, her eyes sparkling. "I thought you were joking at first!" She snuggled deeper into their embrace. "But it's all right, as the news that I get to work with you is even better than a date."

Mamoru patted her head gently. "But it's not good enough for me, now is it? Besides, we've never had a date ever since- oh, what was it that you called it? 'Proposed'?" He asked, and Usagi looked up at him, her expression still confused. "W-What? Mamo-chan, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

**A/N:**** Yay! :D Another cliff-hanger XD Story of my lifeeeee.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter(: Sorry it's kinda short): It was so fun to write Mamoru a bit jealous, though! ^o^ The chapter took me a while to write up, but I'm glad I got to update it a few days after the last update. :D And if Saphir was in this chapter, you can guess who's going to come soon in the story...(Hint: He's one of my favorite characters in the Sailor Moon series!)**

**Review please! It makes me sad that about 10 people review each time I update when there are, like, 200 people following the story. Please review, as it lets me know what's good and what's bad in the story(:**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N****: Enjoy! ^^ The beginning of the chapter was so sweet that I think I got diabetes from writing it. XD I love this couple way too much...**

_**NOTE!**_** This chapter is (I think) the **_**last**_** time we'll see Mamoru be a total ass to Usagi for no reason we know of. I know, I know, it only took 20 chapters, but hey, at least it'll stop! :D WOOT!**

**I wrote this chapter while listening to the song "Somethin' Stupid" by Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman, so it may be super cheesy in some places. Sorry! XD God, I just LOVE that song!**

_**I do not own Sailor Moon or Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss.**_

**Chapter 20**

"As expected of a genius!" Usagi beamed, admiring the small ring on her left finger, next to her ring finger. It was a small gold band with a white pearl gleaming on it in the dim lamplight of their room. "Of course you'd know my ring size!"

Mamoru shook his head. "I can't believe you're still not over that. And what on Earth did you expect when I said we were going on the date I promised?"

"Well..." Usagi looked down at the bedsheets, twisting her finger shyly as her grip around Mamoru's arm tightened, a small blush coloring her cheeks in the darkness, "I thought you were going to take me to a restaurant or something, or have a party waiting at home, with presents or something! I didn't expect you to take me to the ring shop and..." Her voice trailed off, "It's like you _knew_ I'd pass or something!"

"It's not your birthday, Usako," Mamoru muttered, opening the blanket with his free arm, "You'll have to wait for all that for a few months."

Usagi pouted, but then immediately giggled. "But I'm glad you kept your promise."

Mamoru nodded, and then gently kissed her head. "You're welcome. And I knew you'd pass, as you have it in you."

"What do you mean?" Usagi looked up at him, her blue eyes curious.

"Well, you're always claiming how you can do anything if you set your mind to it, and I saw that you were really set on becoming a nurse." He looked down at her, an eyebrow raised, "You're serious about this?"

"Yes!" She raised a fist in the air, her eyes closed, "I don't want you to tell all your doctor friends that your wife is a stay-home wife who does nothing but bake delicious cakes all day!" She exclaimed, "I want you to tell them that she's a beautiful, intelligent, tall, absolutely stunning, amazingly kind-"

"A nurse?" Mamoru cut her off as he laid back in the bed, and she nodded eagerly. "Usako, telling my colleagues who you are isn't going to bring me up or down." He told her calmly, but then shrugged, smiling a bit. "But if it means that much to you, then I congratulate you."

Sighing happily, the blonde propped up on her knees and pecked him on the cheek, sliding down into the sheets next to him, as she released her grip on his arm. "I'm excited, though, for next week to start." She said, turning off the light, "Because then I can officially say that I, Tsu- er, Chiba Usagi, am a nurse in training!"

"However, I'm still scared for your future patients." Mamoru added teasingly, and Usagi pouted, hitting him on the arm angrily. "Shush, Mamoru-_baka_!" She scolded, "It's not like _you'd_ be any better just because you're a goody-goody know-it-all doctor!"

"For your information, _Odango-"_

"OI!" Shingo slammed the door open, startling the two in the dark, his angry dark green eyes glaring at them. "Some of us have advanced lessons tomorrow morning, so we can't afford to lose sleep on a Friday night like _you two_ can! So shush your lovey-dovey pillow talk and let me sleep!" The door was closed with another slam, and an awkward silence engulfed the area for a few moments. Usagi giggled under her breath and wrapped her arms around Mamoru's shoulders, looking into his navy eyes in the darkness. _"Ne,_ Mamo-chan." She wiggled closer to him, "Can you say it again?"

"Say what?"

"You know...when you said you were proud of me. And that you thought I was the best wife any man could ask for, and the light of your life."

"...I never said that."

"Yes, you did!" Usagi sat up, glaring at him, upset, "You said it while we were in the ring shop!"

"I said you made me proud, that's all."

"Can you say it again?"

"Why?"

"Because..." She fidgeted uncomfortably, "...you don't say things like that often, and hearing it come out of your mouth is..." She trailed off, but then looked back at him, her expression pleading, "Can you?"

Mamoru chuckled. "And if I don't?"

Usagi crossed her arms. "Then Nurse Usagi will use her knowledge of injections and punish you in the name of the nursing for-"

Mamoru grabbed Usagi by the arm and pulled her down, kissing her lightly on the lips and smiled at her. "I'm proud of you, Usako."

The blonde blinked for a moment, and then snuggled further into his arms, a satisfied grin on her face. _"I love you, Mamo-chan."_

* * *

"Are you a new student this semester?" A voice asked softly.

Usagi turned to the side and looked up, where a sandy-haired female sat comfortably on the steps of the lecture hall, a beautiful turquoise-haired woman sitting next to her. Usagi nodded quickly, looking back at the paper she held in her hands, giving her the instructions of how to get to the nursing department. "I may be in the wrong place, but-"

"Nah, you're in the right area for nursing, _Odango!_" The sandy-haired woman got up and gave her a light slap on the back, her eyes gleaming. "I'm Ten'oh Haruka!"

Usagi fumed a bit. "My name is not Odango!" She exclaimed a bit angrily. "It's Tsu- er, Chiba Usagi!"

The other woman rolled her eyes as Haruka chuckled lightly. "Haruka, that isn't nice." She turned to Usagi, her expression apologetic. "I deeply apologize, Usagi-san. Haruka just likes to mess around with people, and doesn't seem to have respect for others sometimes. She glared at Haruka once more, and then grinned at Usagi, extending her hand out. "I'm Kaioh Michiru. Which department did you come from?"

Usagi smiled a bit and shook her hand. _"W-Wow...how beautiful she is!"_ She cleared her throat and brought her hand back to her side, "N-Nice to meet you! I came from the literature section, and was transferred for this new semester." She looked around. "Where is everyone...?" She asked, a bit surprised by the empty hall.

"It's the first day after a weekend." Michiru looked out to the empty steps as well, "Monday mornings, almost everyone shows up late."

"Oh." Usagi walked around to the front table, poking a few objects on the table. _"I'm finally here! Time to show-"_

"HEY!"

The sudden voice startled Usagi, and she accidentally tipped over a medicine bottle, causing the sticky brown liquid to seep all over the floor. She squeaked and looked around, trying to find a mop, a brown or _something._

"You spilled everything!" The same voice continued, and Usagi shook her head, trying to ignore it.

"Give her a break, man." Haruka's calm voice said, "You're the one who startled her."

"Well she's the one who broke it!" The voice exclaimed.

Usagi pursed her lips in panic and grabbed a few tissues from nearby and started to wipe the liquid, rapidly moving her arms in a circular motion.

"And if she's to become a nurse, she shouldn't be jumpy or get scared quickly, or-"

That did it. Usagi immediately whipped around, and stormed up to the new person in the room. "Shut _up!"_ Usagi yelled, _"You're_ the one who scared me, so technically it's _your_ fault for me dropping it, so _you_ should be apologizing to _me!_ _And_ if _you're_ going to be in the nursing department, you should know that accidents _will_ occur, and you should know what to do in said situations, and yelling is certainly not one of them!"

An awkward silence engulfed the room, and Usagi blinked, suddenly surprised by what words had just been spat out of her mouth. She looked up at the person she was yelling. He had pure white hair that didn't indicate old age, as he looked about a few years older than her, yet wise. His amethyst eyes, like Michiru and Haruka's, were wide in shock as they stared at her, and then he shook his head, his silver bangs falling over his face. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, and turned away, walking towards the door. "I'll find you a mop."

Usagi gulped and then turned to Michiru. _"A-Ano,_ who was that?"

"That's Nemesis Dimande." Michiru whispered, "This is his first year, like ours, but he's rather strict about the whole nursing thing, and, as you saw, he likes to...erm..."

"He likes to take a charge, like a total douche." Haruka interrupted, and Michiru hit her gently on the back. "Haruka!"

"It's true, though!"

Usagi looked back at the empty doorway, a bit confused, and then bit her lip. "Why is he so mean?"

"No one knows, but some say it's because he hasn't had luck with women, and that he feels the same way with nursing, as it's the only thing other than finding a relationship he's really worked hard on."

Usagi gulped. _"I hope I wasn't too mean..."_

* * *

"...and then wrap it around your partner's arm." The instructor spoke, "Afterwards, take your partner's heart rate."

Dimande silently took the heart rate monitor and set it beside Usagi's wrapped arm, squeezing the tiny ball in his hand. She fixed her gaze on the small ball, trying to avoid his look and focusing on his work.

"Chiba-san, I'm really sorry about this morning."

Looking up, the blonde blinked in surprise. Michiru and Haruka too glanced in their direction, shocked as well, but then quickly looked away, muttering underneath their breath to each other. She laughed nervously and then waved her hands. "N-No, it's fine Nemesis-sama! You were just trying to tell me what was right, so it's okay!"

His pale cheeks turned a bright pink, his eyes shining as his lips curved into an appreciative smile. "Please, call me Dimande."

"Only if you call me Usagi!"

Dimande laughed as he wrote down her heart rate and took off the monitor, giving it to her. "Normal heart rate, Usagi. That's good."

"What did you expect?" She asked as she wrapped the patch around his arm and took the small ball in her palm, squeezing it gently, "It's not like I'm...erm..."

Dimande shook his head, still smiling. "I understand."

Usagi continued to squeeze and sighed, unconsciously laying her palm beside Dimande's free hand. Dimande flushed further, looking down at her palm and pursed his lips. He looked over to her. She wasn't like anything he had ever seen in a female before. She was innocent, had a sense of humor, was driven, and...had the most beautiful light sea blue eyes ever. _"It's like I could gaze into them forever..."_

"_A-Ano,_ Dimande," She looked up, worried, "Your heart rate seems to be going up rather quickly."

"W-What?" Dimande snapped back to reality, and placed his hand on his neck, realizing beads of sweat had formed. "S-Sorry, I must be a bit nervous."

"Nervous? Why?"

To Dimande's luck, the instructor walked over to the two. "Chiba-san and Nemesis-san, could you two go down to the medical department and give them some of the crucible tongs from our cabinet? I just received a call that they are running low on them."

Usagi brightened. _"Hai!"_ She nodded and ran over to the cabinet and grabbed a bag, grabbing Dimande's arm and half-dragged him out. "C'mon, Dimande!"

"W-What?" Dimande shook his head, a bit dizzy. "Slow down! Why on Earth are you going so fast?"

"Because Mamo-chan's in the medical department!"

"Who?"

"My husband!"

Dimande felt his heart sink lower. _"Of course."_ He thought. "So is my brother, Saphir."

Usagi immediately stopped. "S-Saphir?" She demanded, blue eyes wide. "He's one of the reasons I'm in Nursing now!"

Dimande laughed weakly. "That's- wait." He blinked. "What did you say your husband's name was?"

"Mamo-chan? At least, that's what I call him," She turned to him, pushing a wisp of blonde hair behind her ear, "His full name is Chiba Mamoru."

The words echoed throughout Dimande's ears as he listened to them slither around and into his mind. _Chiba Mamoru._ The man his brother would _not_ stop complaining about once he got home, day and night. Chiba did _this,_ he won _that,_ he ridiculed _this,_ etc.

And now he found out he was married to a young woman he had possibly liked, no, _loved._

Wonderful.

"Ah, we're here!"

Dimande let out an unhappy sigh as Usagi skipped up. "Ah, Mari-san isn't here?" She asked, and then knocked on the medical department door. _"Moshi moshi! _Will someone open the door-"

The door opened to reveal a rather surprised Mamoru, an eyebrow raised as he looked at the two. "Usako?"

"Here are the crucible tongs, Mamo-chan!" She sang, holding out the bag she held. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Mamoru opened the bag and sighed. "What are we supposed to do with haircut scissors?" He asked.

Usagi blinked and looked inside the bag. "H-Haircut scissors?" She squeaked, and snatched the bag back, smacking her forehead with her palm. "I must've gotten them mixed up! I-I'll be right back!" She zoomed back to the nursing department, and then arrived a few minutes later, gasping for air and holding up a different-colored bag, her expression exhausted but happy. "Here you go! The right bag!"

"Sheesh, _baka._ You can't even differentiate between the two." Mamoru took the bag, turned away and started to walk back towards the department.

Usagi stuck out her tongue, Dimande a bit confused at his expression. "Usagi, does he _always_ treat you like that?" He demanded.

"Of course not!" Usagi smiled as the two continued to walk back. "He used to act like that before we got married, but not anymore, because he loves me!" A light skip developed in her walk, and Dimande looked away. _"Is that really true...?"_

* * *

"S-So, tell me, Usagi," Dimande turned uneasily to the blonde, "Why are you married to a guy like Chiba? You two are the most opposite people I've ever met."

Usagi shrugged. "I'm not quite sure myself, Dimande. But," She looked down at her left hand, where her wedding ring and gift ring smiled up at her in the dawnlight radiated as the two walked home, "All I know is that when I first saw him at the freshmen orientation before high school started, I immediately fell for him. A few years later, I confessed my love, and he rejected me. After a natural disaster, though, my dad-"

"I'm well aware of the story, Usagi," Dimande interrupted, shaking his head, "I'm just wondering why you're with _him._ He doesn't seem to show any feelings towards you, and I just hope that he doesn't do anything to hurt you. I mean," He turned to her, concern filling his expression, "He told you to go walk home alone because he had to stay after. Doesn't that seem a bit off?"

Usagi stopped in her tracks, her blue eyes frozen with terror for a brief moment. She the blinked and shook her head, a smile lighting up her face. "Dimande, Mamo-chan's just a bit shy when it comes to showing his feelings. And," She laughed softly, "I'm sure he has a reason for his being a bit cold here and there." She stopped, looking up at the rather large house. _"Arigatou,_ Dimande, for dropping me home. I really appreciate it."

Dimande shook his head, grinning. "It's nothing. I wanted to apologize after behaving that terribly to you this morning."

Usagi laughed. "No, it's fine!" She smiled, "Thanks for listening, though. You're a really good friend and I'm glad I got to meet you this semester." She started to walk up the stairs of the house and turned around, waving to him. "See you tomorrow!"

He nodded, waving slightly back. "S-See you."

As Usagi walked up the stairs and into the house and Dimande walked home, neither of them noticed a pair of upset turquoise eyes watching them from behind the front curtain of the house, anger gleaming in them as she watched the couple part. "This is obviously no good." As Usagi walked in, Saori turned around. "Ah, Usagi-chan!" She exclaimed happily, "You're home! How was your first day in the Nursing department?"

"It was great, _okaa-san!"_ Usagi replied, taking off her shoes by the front door, "I met three new friends, and they're all so-"

"So what's the name of that young man you were chatting with?"

"Eh? Oh, his name is Dimande." Usagi shook her head, "He's _very_ serious about nursing and all, but it turns out he's very nice, and he actually cares for-"  
"Did he make a move on you, Usagi-chan?" The woman asked seriously, her large eyes staring at the girl. Usagi blinked. "E-Eh?"

"He's not trying to persuade you to leave Mamoru, is he?" The housewife asked nervously, and hugged Usagi tightly to her chest, "Please don't leave, Usagi-chan! If Mamoru isn't loving you, isn't touching-"

"_Okaa-san!"_ Usagi interjected, her face turning a bright pink, "He hasn't done anything, he's just a friend. And I love Mamo-chan." She smiled and pulled out of the worried woman's embrace. "I always will, and he'll always love me."

Saori pursed her lips and looked back worriedly as the girl walked up the stairs. "This is no good. This is no good at _all."_

That night, Usagi shifted in the bed she and Mamoru shared, and noticed he was on the complete edge of his side. She giggled at his shyness and advanced forward, wrapping her arms around him and her grin expanding on her face. _"Ah...much better-"_

Mamoru pulled his arm away from Usagi and pulled to himself, much to her surprise. "M-Mamo-chan?" She asked, "Are you all right?"

"Can't I sleep one night without you constantly clinging to me?" He demanded, and she blinked. _"B-But...didn't he say that one time...?"_

_ "Fine, I'll say it once and I'll say it once only. Alright?" Mamoru asked, and Usagi nodded, her blue eyes sparkling. _"Hai!_ Say it, say it!"_

_ Mamoru sighed, shaking his head and hitting it with his palm. "I like it when you snuggle with me." He muttered, "It makes me feel very warm inside."_

_ Usagi giggled again and kicked her feet up in the air, tightening her wrap around his chest. "Yay! I love snuggling with you too, Mamo-chan!"_

Usagi gulped. _"What's wrong with Mamo-chan?"_

* * *

"I did it!" Usagi jumped up and Dimande flinched, one of his amethyst eyes twitching as the young blonde giggled. She then noticed his cautious expression and pursed her lips, backing away. "S-Sorry."

Dimande smiled. "Nah, it's fine. Now we should get this blood to the medical department, as Sensei told us."

Nodding, Usagi took off her rubber gloves and washed her hands after placing the red test tube on the test tube rack. "But I'm so happy! I finally drew blood in a correct manner for the first time!"

The white-haired man gently patted the blonde on the back in a congratulatory manner. "Congratulations, Usagi. Now let's go give the blood before the medical department closes."

"Yeah!" Usagi picked up the small test tube and took Dimande's hand, rocking it back and forth as the two walked down the campus to the medical department. She didn't notice his pale cheeks suddenly turning a dark pink as they both walked together in silence, save for her quiet happily humming under her breath.

_"N-Ne,_ Usagi?"

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering if-"

"What on Earth took you so long?"

The two looked up and saw Mamoru standing by the entrance of the medical department, his arms crossed over his chest. "We've been waiting for that last test tube for the past few hours."

"B-But Ma-Mamo-"

"You should be glad for her!" Dimande interrupted, looking at Mamoru coldly. "You're her husband, and it's the first time she drew blood!"

"It's all right, Dimande, it's my fault he had to wait-"

"But there's a reason you didn't give it to him earlier!" He exclaimed furiously, looking over at Mamoru, his eyes angrily glaring at him, "She fainted during the previous autopsy, so that's why she wasn't able to give the results to you earlier!"

"Well that's not my fault. If she wants to become a nurse then she shouldn't faint at such small things." Mamoru took the test tube from Usagi and walked back into the medical department, quickly saying, "I'll be home late again," over his shoulder towards Usagi. The petite blonde pursed her lips and then nodded before turning away and walking rather quickly away. No, no tears. Not now. Not in front of Dimande. No tears would spill. No, please, no, don't come now.

"Usagi!" Dimande caught up with the half-racing girl, grabbing her arm and trying to stop her. "Stop! About what just happened, doesn't it make you feel upset for being spoken to like that? Usagi-"

"He's just trying not to spoil me, Dimande." Usagi said quietly, continuing to walk fast, but he wouldn't give up. He wasn't going to watch her suffer. "Usagi, please-"

"He does love me, Dimande!" She told him, and the man brushed his bangs away, trying to keep up with her. He saw small drops form in her crystal blue eyes and fall down her cheeks as she walked. "Usagi, just listen to me-"

"He just doesn't like to show it sometimes, and, you know, this is his first time actually loving someone, and-"

"He doesn't love you, Usagi! I do!" Dimande yelled, and Usagi blinked, her silent sobs cut off by his loud exclamation. "I've been watching the way he's been acting towards to you for the past few days, and I can't take it anymore! You deserve better!"

"D-Dimande..." Usagi quietly whispered, "W-What are you-"

Dimande took Usagi's hands in his, holding them close to him, his amethyst eyes looking into her bright blue ones. "Usagi, I'm serious. I love you. I know you may love him, but you can be with me instead, and I'll treat you better, and love you forever, and-" He shook his head, realizing how stupid he must've sounded, babbling on continuously. "Usagi, please, listen to me, I really do care for you."

Wet drops of water fell on Usagi and Dimande's hands and they both looked up, noticing more storms starting to cloud over the sky, showering continuous drops of rain over the area. "It's raining..." Dimande quietly noted, looking back at the blonde whose hands he held closely to his own.

"D-Dimande, please don't say that!" Usagi laughed weakly, "I know you care for me, b-but you and I both know Mamo-chan l-loves..." She trailed off as her blue eyes widened, realizing Dimande was leaning forward, his lips a few inches away from her own. "W-What are you doing...?"

"Look into my eyes, Usagi."

"Dimande, n-no-" Usagi pulled away slowly, leaving Dimande to brush a small kiss against her cheek. She shook her head. "I-I'm married to him, I can't do that."

"But Usagi, he doesn't love you!"

"Nemesis Dimande, what on Earth do you think you're doing?"

The two looked over to see Mamoru standing in the rain a few feet away from them, partly drenched from the water. "M-Mamo-chan!"

He walked over silently by Usagi, his eyes not leaving Dimande. "I'm not a fool, Dimande." He said through gritted teeth, "I know what you did when Usako fainted. I'm not a fool."

"What are you talking about?" Dimande demanded softly, his gaze not leaving Mamoru's.

_"Oi, Chiba, word's that your wife fainted from looking at the first autopsy."_

_ Mamoru turned, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Do you know where she is, Saphir?"_

_ "From what I heard, she fainted near the nursing cabinets, so it's possible that she's resting near that area."_

_ Mamoru mumbled a "thanks" and half-rushed out the door, feeling his heart starting to quicken as he walked out. _"Where could they be-"

_He froze right when he passed the resting room by the medicine cabinets, his eye catching sight of a familiar blonde color. He slowly walked in and saw an unconscious Usagi lying on the bed, still in her nursing student uniform. He was about to walk in to see if she was feeling better when-_

He_ walked by. That man with the silver-white hair and purple eyes who he always saw following his wife around for the past few days, his hand dangling dangerously close to his wife's. His stomach would flip over and he'd feel anger starting to engulf him whenever he saw the man, walking around Usagi, talking to her, or even looking at her. He'd see her laugh whenever she talked to him, and it was like a new side of her was shown whenever she talked to this mysterious man, and this made him upset. How could this man even _dare_ to think of being close to her when she was married?_

_ And that's when it happened._

_ He saw the man bend over, his face close to the sleeping Usagi's, his eyes half-closed as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Mamoru reached for the doorknob to open the door further, ready to give that man a piece of his mind-_

_ "Oi, Chiba. Did you find her yet?"_

_ Mamoru jumped slightly and turned around to see Saphir standing a few feet behind him, his expression slightly concerned as he pushed up his glasses. "Er, yeah." Mamoru nodded awkwardly, and stole a glance at the door, noticing that the bastard hadn't kissed his wife in the fear of being noticed. "Thanks, Saphir."_

_ Saphir nodded and walked away._

"I saw you try to kiss her. I'm not stupid."

"Just now, yes, but-"

"No, you tried to kiss her when she fainted today!"

Usagi looked up at Dimande, her eyes wide. "D-Dimande, h-how could y-you-"

Dimande reached out his hands, his amethyst eyes filled with disbelief. "N-No, Usagi! It was a misunderstanding, I swear!"

"No!" Usagi shook her head, backing away. "Go!" She yelled, more tears falling down her cheeks, "Just go!"

Dimande turned away and started to walk hurriedly before shooting Mamoru a nasty glare, and then hurrying off. Usagi then turned to Mamoru, who seemed to try to take her hand, muttering "Let's go", but she let go of his hand too. "No!" She yelled.

"No? You don't want to go home?"

"No, I'm tired of you constantly treating me like I'm dirt or something!" She yelled, and slid her purse off of her shoulder into her palm, "This isn't how it's supposed to be! You're not supposed to be mean to me or ignore me!"

"What are you-"

"Whenever I seem to succeed in something, you're nice one moment, and then you're extremely cold to me again! When I made the Top 100, you were nice, and then angry because of one small photo! When I married you, you were kind, and then you were mean because you thought I was lying about Naru flirting! And now, with me becoming a nurse and all, you celebrated with me at first, but then you immediately ignore me talking about my new friends, my achievements! You've become such a...a..." She shook her head, her mind racing all over. "...DICK!" She spat the word out, ignoring the look of surprise on Mamoru's face. "He told me he loved me, Mamo-chan! Something you almost _never_ do! He offered to drop everything and help me when I needed help or someone to comfort me, and was the best! Why on Earth can't you be like that?" She gritted her teeth, unable to control herself. She had no idea if her words were coming in any chronological order; she couldn't help it, though. The words were pouring themselves out of her mouth. "What Dimande said was right! You don't care about me! YOU DON'T LOVE ME!"

_TCHAK._

Usagi held her blazing red cheek in surprise, not expecting what just happened. She looked up at Mamoru, whose hand had just struck her. "Calm down." He said quietly, but she couldn't take it anymore.

"No! I've had enough of these years of a one-sided romance!" She yelled, and ran away quickly, leaving Mamoru wide-eyed in the rain.

**A/N:**** Le gasp! Another cliffhanger! And another rain scene! :O I love those types of scenes, they're so cool to write XD**

**Hmm...a new character, and daaamn Usagi was fiery! :O Whatever shall happen nexttt~? But yay, it's the last time we see Mamoru as a total meanie :P**

**Review please!(:**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:**** HOLY SHITAKE MUSHROOMS! A QUICK UPDATE! XD As soon as I saw the reviews pleading for another chapter, I immediately sat down and started writing, regardless of the fact that my spring break is over and now school has started...damn it...D:**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews, though! I'm sooooo glad people like this story! :3**

**Ready for Mamoru to be begging on his knees (okay not on his knees) for Usagi to come back? ;D**

**Enjoy Chapter 21! This chapter is extremely cheesy, so be prepared. **

_**I do not own Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss or Sailor Moon.**_

**Chapter 21**

"Usagi-chan, would you like some more tea? I made more than enough..."

"No, I'm fine. _A-Arigatou,_ Michiru-san."

Usagi shuddered underneath the woolen seafoam green blanket, wrapping herself further in it, allowing more warmth to surround her. "I'm really sorry for arriving so late, asking for a place to stay." She said, looking up at the woman gratefully, "Thank you so much for letting me borrow clothes and staying overnight."

"Nonsense," Michiru grinned, placing the tea kettle back on the stove and sitting next to the odango-ed girl, who shuddered again in her borrowed pajamas, "If you need a place to stay or advice anytime, Usagi-chan, Haruka and I are always here for you."

"Still, I can't believe that happened." Haruka said, poking her head around the corner of another room, "It sounds like some kind of dramatic scene from those types of soap operas that Michiru and our friend Setsuna watch together."

"Haruka!" Michiru scolded, but both blondes laughed gently, and Usagi smiled for the first time in a few hours as Haruka waltzed in dramatically, falling down on one knee, "Oh, Irie, how could you do this to me? I thought we were cupcake producers together! How could you go and eat all the pink frosting?"

Usagi laughed again, and looked down at her left hand, where both her rings gleamed in the dim light of Haruka and Michiru's apartment. "I thought we were lovers." She whispered, her vision blurring a bit, and Michiru scooted closer to her, wrapping her arm comfortingly around her shoulders. "Usagi, there are always tests life gives to us when we're in a relationship. It's whether to see whether we truly love that person, and if we can make through anything with that person. If we can't," She shrugged, "then perhaps we made a mistake in choosing our life partner."

"But I was just _so_ _sure_ about him..." Usagi sighed, "I thought that even though he was a bit cold, I wouldn't care. I don't mind it when he's cold for a few moments, but him not being happy when I first drew blood, or when I knew the correct answer for Sensei, or when I found out how to use a blood pressure monitor..." Usagi trailed off, looking to the side, "I know he doesn't show his feelings much, but a small smile would've sufficed."

"Usagi-chan, at least he chose you. Out of all of the women who tried to capture his heart, he chose _you. _Shouldn't that-"

"Maybe I've gotten selfish, too!" Usagi slammed her fist clumsily against the table, startling Michiru. "Before, when I had first seen him, I would've done anything for him to even be in the same room as me. After we started living in the same house, I would've died for him to look at me. After we kissed, I wanted him to speak to me more. After we got married, I wanted him to smile at me, or say 'I love you' even once." She sighed, her vision getting worse, "And then after that, I wanted him to touch-"

Haruka slammed her hand over Usagi's mouth, laughing weakly. "Heh, we got it, Usagi-chan."

Michiru eyed Usagi, raising an eyebrow. "Usagi-chan...forgive me if I sound off, but are you _drunk?"_

Usagi giggled and then took off Haruka's hand, pointing a finger weakly at her. "H-Haruka-chan gave it to me!" She laughed, starting to feel more bubbly, "When I came, I asked what she was drinking, and she lemme have a small...maybe a bit big...not too medium though! It was a small sip...I gulped a few times, and I think I finished half the bottle?" She giggled, and Michiru shot Haruka a disapproving look. "Haruka! How could you give her some alcohol?"

Haruka shrugged, slightly cringing under Michiru's gaze. "The poor girl wasn't feeling well, and asked for a sip. How could I refuse?"

Usagi sighed and laid sideways on the sofa, her vision clearing a tiny bit. "I remember the first time I got drunk..." She whispered, "...Mamo-chan was with me." She laughed, her rosy cheeks turning redder, "I had followed Rei-chan and Mamo-chan to the woods, where Rei-chan was going to confess her love to him." She waved a finger, still laughing, "But he didn't say yes! And when she asked him if he knew how it felt to love someone, if he had kissed anyone in his life, he said he had kissed me!" She closed her eyes, "And then later he found me spying and we left the party. But before, I found a senior offering me juice, which was, you know," She sat up and whispered in Michiru's ear, "...champagne!" She giggled and straightened up, her cheeks not so rosy as before, "And then Mamo-chan had to help me walk home, and it was such a beautiful night..." Tiny tears formed in her eyes and she started to sob, laying on Michiru's shoulder. "I-I miss him, Michiru-san." She sniffled, "I know h-he's cold-hearted and m-mean at times, but he r-really has a good side!" More tears began to spill. "I-I just want to know _why_ h-he's so mean s-sometimes!"

"But Usagi-chan," Michiru patted her head gently, "Didn't you say the only problem was when he was mean after your first day?"

"Exactly!" Usagi nodded quickly, her face red from sobbing and the alcohol she drank, "I just want to know why he was so mean after the first day of nursing!"

"Maybe he's jealous?" Haruka piped, but Usagi shook her head, "No, there's no way in this entire universe that he's jealous of his nurse-in-training wife when he himself is going to be a doctor."

"Maybe something else happened?" Michiru offered, tilting her head to the side, "Did anything new happen ever since your first day?"

"N-Not that I know of..."

"Well, you and that Dimande seemed to be hitting it off pretty close," Haruka said, her sandy bangs falling over her face as she lay on Michiru's other shoulder, "Was he jealous about that? People tend to get super angry and stuff when they're jealous, y'know."

Usagi blinked. _"Jealous...of Dimande...?"_ She thought, but shook her head. "Why would be jealous of Dimande?" She sighed, "I just have to face it. He's probably not even wondering where I am," She sniffled, "He probably just thinks of me as a burden, and-"

_RING RING!_

Haruka leaped off the couch and reached for the phone but Michiru immediately grasped it and pressed the "call" button. _"Moshi moshi?_ Oh, Saori-san?" She turned to Usagi, whose eyes brightened a bit, "Yes, she's here with us. No, it's trouble at all. _Hai,_ I will. Thank you." She put the phone back down on the receiver and turned to Usagi. "She's really worried about you, Usagi-chan."

Usagi nodded and smiled a bit. "That's the wonderful thing about _okaa-san._ She always cares for me like I'm her own." She sighed. "If only Mamo-chan would do that..." She trailed off and fell asleep on Michiru's shoulder.

Michiru and Haruka laughed gently as they got up from the couch and put a pillow underneath the sleeping girl's head. "She's so cute when she sleeps," Haruka said, smiling, "I think I know how Mamoru-san feels now."

* * *

Saori put the phone down on the receiver and let out a sigh of relief. She had finally figured out where her precious daughter-in-law was, and, to her extreme content, she was safe in good hands. She turned to her eldest son, who was sitting out on the piano, watching the rain. She shook her head, not believing that he had come home half an hour ago, dripping wet, without the usual blonde holding onto his arm, chirping about their day. And when she had constantly asked "Where's Usagi-chan?", he'd just shake his head and mutter something under his breath, ignoring her and Shingo's constant demands at him.

But thank God, she'd finally found out that the odango-ed girl was alright, not stuck in the storm alone.

"Well, she's safe." Saori mumbled at him, and he gave a quick nod, still not looking at her. She shook her head again and walked away from the patio door, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm never going to see my beloved daughter-in-law again!"

Shingo smacked his forehead with his palm. _That's_ what his mother was concerned about? Not seeing Usagi again because she and Mamoru had a fight? He shook his head in disbelief and walked over to his brother, who was still watching the storm outside. Shingo knew that his brother had spent a while looking for her. He knew that he had already tried what his mother was doing five minutes ago. He knew that though mostly everyone denied it, his brother loved Usagi.

Shingo cleared his throat and sat next to him. "May I join you?"

Mamoru nodded and Shingo pulled up a chair, sitting next to him. "I heard what happened." He said quietly, "Why don't you just apologize?"

Mamoru laughed weakly. "I don't know what to do, Shingo." He confessed, speaking for the first time since Usagi yelled at him, "I know what I did was wrong, but I don't know how to tell her I know my actions weren't right."

"What do you mean?"

"I had no idea. I couldn't control myself." He turned away, his navy eyes now downcast, looking at the wood of the patio floor. "Just everytime I saw her with _that_ man, she seemed different. As if she was a totally different person, and..." He sighed, "Her smile was not like what it looked like. She never smiled at me like that. I felt upset, and I..." He held his face in his palms, "I'm ashamed to say that I wanted to crush that smile."

"What did you feel?"

"Hate. I wanted to stab that Dimande in the stomach."

Shingo was quiet for a moment, and then started to laugh really loudly, his head falling back in his chair as his older brother stared at him with wide, confused eyes. "What on Earth are you _laughing_ about?"

_"Onii-chan,_ you're jealous!"

"Jealous...?" He said the word slowly, confused. "I've never been jealous before, so that's crazy. I can't be."

Shingo nodded, his brown hair following his head. "No, you are. I remember you looking angry and confused when I heard she was putting up a charade with Jadeite, having fun with Seijuro, or when Seiya proposed to her." He laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day. _Odango_ made my brother jealous."

Mamoru raised an eyebrow, still confused. "J-Jealous...?" He repeated, and Shingo chuckled again. _"Hai, onii-chan!_ You're jealous of her being happy with someone else other than you! But don't worry." He laid back in his chair, smiling at his confused elder brother, "She won't. I know it."

"Oh? How do you know that? You're in 7th grade."

"Because she loves you. Ever since she's moved in, hell, ever since she first _saw_ you, she's been in love with you and you only." He laughed, "I may seem like a poet, but haven't you noticed the way her eyes sparkle when you enter the room? Haven't you seen the way she praises you constantly, day and night? And..." He grinned, patting his brother on the shoulder, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but the fact that she wants to always stick with you until the very end is rather admirable."

Mamoru's lips raised up a bit in the corners as he smile. "Yeah, it is." He agreed.

Shingo got up and looked down at Mamoru, "My suggestion is to apologize, _Onii-chan,"_ He said, "And tell her that you were jealous."

"Hah, I don't even know if she'll allow me back. After being such a..." He mumbled under his breath, "I don't know if she still loves me."

Shingo smacked his brother's face on the head hard. "Are you crazy? That girl has loved you for about seven years straight, what makes you think she'll give up? Besides," He shrugged, starting to mumble like his brother, "I think you two sorta bring out the best in each other."

"What?"

"I said both of you bring out the best in each other. You bring out the other's true self."

Mamoru blinked at the words that his younger brother just spoke, and looked back down at his palms. "Bring out the other's true self?" He whispered, and Shingo walked out of the patio, neither of them realizing that it had stopped raining.

He looked up at the full moon shining on their deck. "But how am I supposed to show her...?"

* * *

Yawning while laying on Michiru's shoulder, Usagi rubbed her red-rimmed eyes sleepily, her vision blurring every now and then. "Are you alright, Usagi-chan?" Michiru asked softly, and the blonde nodded, smiling a bit. "It's a good thing _Sensei_ said that today was just a workday on our reports," She said tiredly, "Or else I probably would've doing something terribly wrong during class."

"I think you might've drank a bit too much of that drink last night." Haruka said, and Michiru turned around, her turquoise eyes glaring at her companion. "And who exactly _was_ it who gave her the drink, Haruka?"

Haruka took a step away, holding her hands up in defense. "O-Oi, I'm not implying anything!"

Usagi giggled and looked up towards the bright light of the cafeteria. She had ended up spending the night at Haruka and Michiru's, and the three of them came to school together, not separating for Usagi's state. Now they were all eating lunch.

Except for Usagi, that is.

"Usagi-chan, you should eat," Michiru said, concerned, holding up a small bread roll, but the girl shook her head, "I'm fine."

"You haven't eaten since twenty-four hours ago. You're a nurse-in-training, even you should know that."

"But-"

"You should eat something, Usagi."

Three heads turned to see Dimande, standing at the end of the table, in his normal white and purple clothing as his amethyst eyes focused on Usagi's only. He walked over to the blonde, who turned away from him, and sat next to her, trying to take her small hands into his. "Usagi, listen. I told you I was serious before, right?"

"Get away!" Usagi exclaimed angrily, "I can't believe you tried to do that!"

"I love you, Usagi!"

That did it. More tears started to stream down Usagi's face, and she shook her head, oblivious to people starting to stare at the discussion at the table in the corner. _"Those words...they hurt, as I don't even know if Mamo-chan will ever say them to me ever again..."_ She looked up at Dimande, hurt. "Then why did you try to kiss me, even when you knew I was married?"

"Because I know that he doesn't love you!"

"But I'm his-"

"Usagi, did he come after you when you ran away? I'm telling you, he won't make you happy like I will!"

"But I'm married to him, Dimande!" She said, her voice rising as more people started to watch the commotion.

"But he doesn't love you-"

"You're wrong!"

Everyone turned to see Mamoru by the cafeteria doors, panting hard as if he had rushed to the area as fast as he could. "You're completely wrong, Dimande. I love her more than I could ever love anything."

"...M-Mamo-chan?" Usagi stammered, and tried to scoot away towards Michiru, but he walked over next to her, staring straight at Dimande.

"I looked for her for over an hour," Mamoru stated firmly, "So don't say I didn't come after her."

"But what's the point of coming now?" Dimande demanded, "You worried the hell out of her. You can't make her happy."

"Dimande-"

"That may be true." Mamoru said, not looking away from Dimande.

"Don't say 'maybe'!" The white-haired man gritted his teeth angrily, "It's a damn fact! Look, you were freaking-"

"Jealous."

Silence filled the cafeteria as everyone stared at the genius. There, in front of everyone in the medical and nursing department of the University, Chiba Mamoru declared that he had been jealous. A few murmurs were heard here and there around the area as people were both confused and shocked at what had just happened. He quickly turned back to Dimande, who staggered back, as if an invisible force was choking him. "...w-what?" He asked, his voice quiet.

"I was jealous," Mamoru repeated, "of you, Nemesis Dimande."

Usagi gasped as she remembered Michiru's previous words. _"S-Something new...? He was jealous of...Dimande coming into the scene?"_

Mamoru didn't turn away, but it was apparent he was speaking to Usagi now. "Ever since I was a child, I had never experienced sadness or jealousy, or any type of emotion. I was, as someone once told me, a 'drop-dead gorgeous cold-hearted bastard'." He shook his head. "But ever since you came into my life, I was thrown into those feelings that were buried within me. I found myself completely confused by what these new thoughts and feelings were, as I had no idea what to do with this riot. For once in my life, I didn't have an inkling of what to do. Questions overwhelmed my mind, and I couldn't think straight on anything. I hated it so much, having to deal with all that confusion and mixed-up feelings." He turned to her, looking straight into her eyes and smiled a bit, "But then, after I realized what was going on, I figured out that that's what it was like to live, how it was like to be human and be your true self, and not to live with ice flowing in every single vein of your body. That's when I realized I had wanted to marry not Hino Rei, not Kakyuu, but you."

Now the cafeteria was completely quiet. No one spoke, and everyone simply stared at Mamoru, whose eyes were completely focused on the petite blonde who sat beside him, looking up at him as more tears flowed down her red cheeks. _"W-What's going on? Why is he saying all these things, and-"_

"But I can only be my true self with my wife, Chiba Tsukino Usagi by my side. And though it may be true that people feel as if I don't love her, I need her." He turned to Dimande, walking closer to him, "I need to see her beautiful blue eyes every morning next to me, the ones filled with childish dreams and pure love. I need to hear her laugh everyday, the way it trills everytime something amusing happens, and the way she can simply just make me act like a human being and not some type of robot is a necessity for me to have." He then turned back to the girl he loved, "I cannot live without you. I love you more than life itself. You make me proud to be married, and I'll constantly keep our kettle warm and boiling."

Usagi sniffled, not believing that he actually remembered what he had told her on their wedding day. She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but no words except for a choked "M-Mamo-chan" came out.

"And if you don't believe me," Mamoru reached into his wallet and pulled out his ID, where the good luck signs and charm Usagi had given him when he went to take the Tokyo University entrance exam still hung, the words "GO FOR IT MAMORU! GOOD LUCK ON THE EXAM!" were still written on the card. He then inserted his hand into the main pocket and pulled out a familiar envelope, and Usagi's eyes widened.

The love letter that had started it all.

"Y-Y-You-"

"I've kept it all these years."

"I-I thought it got lost!"

"I've kept it in my wallet all this time, never letting go of it. Whenever I'm feeling down, I pull it out and read it to remind myself that there's a loving wife waiting for me at the end of the day, and that she's the reason I live here today. And," He sighed, "I know in the past I haven't been the ideal husband I'm supposed to be for you, and I regret it. However, no matter what happens, I realize that I need you standing by my side, as I love you more than my own life, and never want to leave you."

Usagi stood up, wiping away her tears as a small smile appeared on her face. "I-Is it all right if I stand by your side?"

Mamoru laughed gently. "Didn't I just say that, _Odango?"_

Usagi sniffled and ran into his arms, hugging him tightly. "I-I'll never let go of you! Not until the day I die!"

Mamoru chuckled and hugged her back, patting her odangos. "I'm prepared for it, _Odango."_

Usagi laughed weakly, hitting him languidly, "I-I thought I told you not to call me that, Mamoru-_baka!"_

A burst of applause erupted throughout the walls of the cafeteria as people whistled and cheered for the united couple. Some people screamed, _"OMEDETOU!" _while others wolf-whistled and yelled, "WAY TO GO, CHIBA!" Usagi turned around and started to blush a tomato red, her face darkening, as she knew Mamoru didn't like affection, especially when the two were in public. "M-Mamo-chan, I-I think this is-"

But to her surprise, Mamoru laughed and kissed the top of her forehead, wrapping his arms around her. "I missed you so much, Usako."

Usagi's face flushed further and she quickly pecked him on the cheek. "I missed you too." She whispered, and snuggled deeper into their embrace, now not caring whether people were still happily cheering for them or leaving, now that the whole scene was over.

Dimande huffed and turned away out into the garden, trying not to pay attention to the happy couple. _"Of course. Whenever I'm so close to having one bit of happiness, it's just swooped up from me-"_

"Failed again, huh?"

He turned around and saw a light green-haired woman watching him, smoothing out her dark green dress. "Do I know you?" He asked.

"No, but I'd like to get to know _you._ And I know this probably isn't a good time, since you just got rejected again, but..." She blushed, her pale face turning a bright pink now, and quickly grabbed his hand, smashing a small piece of paper in it. "Call me!" She winked, and ran away from the garden.

He looked down at the paper. _" 'Esmeraude'...?"_

* * *

_"...ne,_ Mamo-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you really search for me for over an hour?"

"Yes, I did."

Usagi gasped and looked up at him. "Did you catch a cold?" She asked, concerned, and patted him on the back, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to worry you so much, and-"

Mamoru laughed and kissed her forehead. "Usako, I'm fine. Now that I know you're all right and you've forgiven me, I'm all right."

Usagi smiled a bit and wrapped her arms around his again, leaning her head against his shoulder as the two laid down on their bed. "You're not going to become one of those completely sugary-type husbands, though, are you?"

"Oh, hell no." He shook his head, "Sorry, _Odango,_ if you like that type, but I'm _not_ going to be a Prince Charming."

Usagi pouted. "How many times must I tell you? My name is not-"

Mamoru kissed her on the lips, silencing her.

"...Odango."

Mamoru laughed, "Once again, sorry. I'm not going to change my type just to fit your fairytale standards. I'm not Prince Endymion."

Usagi giggled. "I'm already in a fairytale," She whispered, "I'm with my ideal husband, with a happy life, and about to be able to work side-by-side with him."

He patted her head with his free hand, grinning. "I'm glad. I don't like dressing up in prince costumes."

"But you _did_ like dressing in girls' clothing as a little child!" Usagi purred, and Mamoru turned to her, his black brows furrowing. "You're going down the wrong road, Chiba Tsukino Usagi."

"You're using my full name?" She tapped her chin, her expression completely mischievous as she sat up on the bed, "Seems pretty serious, Chiba Mamoru." She giggled, and Mamoru sat up too, advancing on her as a gleam glimmered in his eye as well, "Maybe I should help you understand how serious it is."

Usagi froze. "You wouldn't dare." She whispered.

Next thing she knew, Mamoru had tackled her down, holding one of her arms down with one of his and raising his other. "Try me." He responded, and Usagi shook her head, her expression pleading. "N-No, Mamo-chan! I-I'm sorry! No tickling, please!"

Mamoru tapped his chin in the same manner as she did, smirking. "All right then." He said, satisfied, and got off of her, laying back onto the bed, "No tickling punishment for the little bunny who doesn't like carrots."

The blonde giggled and snuggled into him. "Mamo-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you really mean all those things you meant back at the cafeteria?"

"Why? Did you think they were fake?"

"N-No!" She bit her lip, "I just wasn't sure if it was real, because after that, I-"

"Yeah, I know, you fainted." Mamoru rolled his eyes, "You seem to do that a lot."

"Only when something amazing or scary happens!"

"Was that amazing or scary?"

"...a bit of both."

"Well, I hope this fixes it." He cupped her chin and leaned forward, kissing her as she blinked, confused at first, and then wrapped her arms around him. _"I love you, Mamo-"_

_ FLASH!_

A bright white flash illuminated the room for half a second and the two stopped, looking at the dark-haired woman peeking from the doorway, holding a camera and an excited expression. "O-Oh, don't mind me! Just continue your-"

"MA!" Mamoru yelled, and Saori laughed, running down the hall, afraid to be strangled by the hands of her angry oldest. "I'M SO HAPPY THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER!" She yelled happily.

Usagi laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "I don't mind, as long as you're with me, Mamo-chan." She whispered, and the two kissed again, ignoring Saori's yells from the living room about what a "great shot" she captured.

**A/N:**** PHEW! Finished in a few days! Wow, that's cool. **

**Hope you liked! If you wanted Mamoru to be begging on his knees, groveling for Usagi's love again...sorry that didn't happen XD I hope no one threw their computer in frustration at how freaking cheesy the ending was... Sorry, I was SO close to finishing, and so I had to rush it a bit at 1 AM. **

**Reviews would be an absolute LOVE(:**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:**** Ohaidereguys. Here's that "quick update" I promised. XD Sorrryyyy~ **

**But hooray! School is over and now. . .although I'm not finished with high school yet, I'm starting community college over the summer so that, when I return to high school in August, a few classes will be removed for my schedule in room for more exciting things, like Astronomy XD (such a nerd). But that means more time for writing, so yay!**

**OH MY GOD OVER 200 REVIEWS ON THIS STORY. /sob I love you guys!**

**Enjoy! Sorry if my writing seems off in this chapter. . .my brain has mentally shut down for the summer. XD**

_**I do not own Sailor Moon or Itazura Na Kiss/It Started With A Kiss**_

**Chapter 22**

"Mm...Mamo-chan..." Grinning as she snuggled deeper into the blanket, Usagi sleepily extended her arms in an attempt to hopefully pull her husband into a comfier embrace, but found herself reaching for nothing except an empty spot. Just a plain, white pillow that was uninhabited rested near the tips of her fingers, much to her complete unhappiness. She sighed. _"Right. He's not here."_ The blonde thought and turned onto her other side, staring at the bedside clock with drooping eyes.

_4 A.M.  
_  
Usagi sighed once more, intertwining her fingers into her messy hair sleepily, _"Why did he have to go to that conference?"_ She thought, her lips twisting into a small frown, _"Today's my capping ceremony, and he can't even make it to the last few moments..."  
_  
_"Maaaamo-chan!" Usagi sang as she skipped through the white halls of the medical department, swinging her arms back and forth, her nursing bag moving along with her. She ran into him, hugging him tightly from the back with a proud grin etched upon her face. "I'm so happy to see you! Because..." She let go and looked down shyly, twisting her toe into the marble floor, "You know what Tuesday is, right?" She asked excitedly, her blue eyes shining.  
_  
_"No...?" Mamoru raised an eyebrow questioningly, continuing to look down at the manila file in his hands.  
_  
_"My capping ceremony!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands and jumping up and down, her ponytails flying along with her as she looked up at him, "Now, I'm not asking for too much, but I'm asking you come, with a camera, red roses, a congratulatory card, a few balloons, maybe a banner, if you can, and-"  
_  
_"Sorry, He closed the file and set it down on the desk in front of him, turned towards the blonde and patted her gently on the head, "Sorry, Usako, but I have to go to a conference in Osaka on Monday afternoon, and I won't be able to be back until Wednesday morning. I can't make it."  
_  
_Usagi blinked. "O-Oh, then you don't have to bring the camera, red roses, and everything else! Just show up and I'll be happy!"_

"_Usako, I said I can't make it, and-"_

"_B-But I memorized the last line of the Nightingale Pledge especially for you, since it references doctors!" She reached into her bag and rummaged through the papers, pulling out her object of need immediately and then holding it out towards Mamoru, "Look, look! Read it, it says-"_

_"'With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.' I know, Usako." Mamoru laughed, picking up his jacket and putting it on, "I've already read the Nightingale Pledge before, remember? It was part of that book you gave me for Christmas."  
_  
_"B-But it's the most special one, since I wanted to become a nurse because of you, and you're a doctor, and-"  
_  
_"It's alright, Usako. Even though I won't be there, I'll at least know that you'll be a nurse after the ceremony, right?"  
_  
Usagi clutched her pillow tightly to her chest, her mouth now twisting into an upset pout as his words echoed through her mind, burning like acid. _"'At least I know you'll be a nurse'? What kind of response is that? Why couldn't he just tell the stupid conference people that he couldn't make it? It's my capping ceremony, the day I become a nurse and officially receive the opportunity to work side-by-side with him!"_ She rolled over and clutched the empty pillow next to her to her chest, pouting again. "Blegh..." She moaned sleepily and then sat up on the bed, rubbing her eyes slowly. _"I wish he was here..."  
_  
"Usaaaaaaaaaagi!" A familiar voice chimed lovingly, and Usagi turned towards the door, where an ecstatic Saori was standing, her turquoise eyes shining at the blonde. "Look!" She held up her hands, where she held a large, puffy pink dress with sequins overly-decorating it. "I bought this for you to wear at the capping ceremony today!"

Usagi blinked. "But, _okaa-san,_ I have to wear my student nursing outfit today," She smiled, touched by the woman's generosity, but a bit freaked out by the protruding poofiness of the dress, "Thank you, though!" She glanced back at the clock, "Why did you come in at 4 A.M.?" She asked, confused.

"Because we have to pretty you up, silly!" Saori giggled, marching in, and Usagi realized that in her other hand was a thick black bag, the sound of possibly make-up supplies cluttering against each other with every swing the woman took. She sat on the bed and then opened the bag. "And the earlier we start, the better!"  
Usagi blinked again, confused once more by Saori's logic. "B-But I haven't even taken a shower yet!"

The woman's eyes widened. "Then go!" She exclaimed, and yanked Usagi off the bed, half-dragging her towards the bathroom, screaming about how they wouldn't get far if Usagi continued to laze around in bed.

* * *

"My little daughter-in-law...she's finally a nurse!" Usagi heard Saori sniffle loudly, crying along with an over-emotional Kenji as she stood in the waiting line, and the blonde bit her lip nervously. She quickly looked down at the candle she held in her now-shaking hands, and watched as the orange-yellow flame flickered in front of her stomach, which was rumbling in a frightened manner.

Many hours had passed since Usagi had woken up to an empty spot next to her, and now she was standing in the line of soon-to-be nurses in the dark theater of their college. She looked back at the audience, where the faces of many relatives and friends of the nurses in the line were watching every student nurse walk up to the stage, recite the Nightingale Pledge in front of everyone, and then have their cap placed on their head by the Head Nurse. It was like all their attention was solely focused on the student nurses, who seemed to be rather calm during their recital in comparison to Usagi, who was standing in line, shaking in her white and bright yellow student nursing uniform. And sometimes, she felt like the audience was turning and staring at the blonde, bracing themselves for her recital.

It was absolutely terrifying.

"_W-What if I mess up?"_ She thought, shaking quietly as she stood, _"I-I d-don't want to go up there, it's too scary!"_

"Oi, good luck, _Odango."  
_  
Usagi looked up and saw Haruka winking at her near the front of the stage. The blonde frowned. "That's easy for you to say!" She whispered unhappily, "You've already went, and you were perfect!"

"Really? Why thank you, _Odango."_ Haruka smirked, which made Usagi more nervous. "S-Shush! And my name is not Odango!"

"Well, little one, watch Michiru. Perhaps she'll mess up and you'll feel better." The sandy-haired young woman pointed up to the top of the stage, where her just-as-elegant companion was walking up, holding her candle, her eyes fixated on the head nurse, who nodded to her. "Recite."

Michiru grinned at the head nurse. "Yes ma'am." She nodded, and then turned to the audience, her eyes gleaming, "I solemnly pledge myself before God and presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully." She took a small breath and went on, finishing the rest of the pledge, receiving a round of applause towards the end just as everyone else had.

Usagi gaped. Michiru had recited the Nightingale Pledge so perfectly with ease, not stuttering or having a mini-panic attack, and was focused on the audience the whole time. She looked so perfect, standing there on the stage with her small candle and her turquoise hair tied back into a ponytail that Usagi's stomach began to feel uneasy again. She turned back to Haruka, who mouthed the words "never mind", and then winked again at Usagi before turning her attention back to Michiru.

_"Well that was very unhelpful."_ Usagi thought, her mouth twisting into an unhappy pout.

"Chiba Usagi."

_"...uh-oh."  
_  
Usagi gulped and looked up at the stairs that lead up to the stage, her head spinning slightly. _"O-Okay, what was it?"_ She thought frantically, her thoughts racing,_ "'I-I solemnly'... p-promise? No, 'pledge myself before...' the doctor? No, no, 'God and p-presence of this...'? Oh no, what was the next part?"_ She could feel her legs starting to mesh together like jelly as she walked up slowly to the Head Nurse, who nodded to her. "Recite."

"Y-Yes ma'am." Usagi nodded, turning to the audience. "I-I solemnly p-prom- erm, p-pledge myself before G-God and p-presence of this audi- a-assembly-" She gulped, her thoughts now mixing together quicker than before, and she blinked a few times, the scenery in front of her meshing together and blurring her vision. "...t-to pass my..." She stopped immediately, a lump forming in her throat.  
_"Oh no."_

"...t-to pass..." She stuttered, her eyes scanning around quickly through the audience, where about two hundred pairs of eyes were staring at her, some looking rather concerned for the nervous girl. Concerned faces, frightened faces, confused faces, and a pair of two amused navy blue eyes.

"_Amused?"_

Usagi blinked, quickly rubbing her eyes with her free hand, her shaky other trying to stabilize the candle holder she held. That face...

"_Mamo-chan?"_

The black-haired man waved at her by the entrance of the door, leaning against the doorframe casually, a smirk on his face. He raised his eyebrows in amusement, as if enjoying her nervous attitude, and she shook her head, pursing her lips as tears of joy started to run down her cheeks.

"Chiba-san?"

Usagi turned to the Head Nurse, her expression beaming as more tears spilt onto her dress. "I-I solemnly pledge myself before God and presence o-of this assembly to pass my life in purity a-and to practice my profession faithfully." She turned back to the audience, her voice remaining a bit shaky, "I-I will abstain from w-whatever is deleterious and m-mischievous and will not take or k-knowingly administer a-any harmful drug." The blonde then looked at her family, where everyone- except for Shingo, who was trying his best not to look at her- was crying for her, happily and proudly. She smiled, her voice becoming slightly louder and gaining more confidence, "I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling." She then looked past them and towards Mamoru. The reason that she took this up. The reason she was here today. The reason she was standing on this stage, reciting this pledge, right here, in front of everyone. _"Mamo-chan, please listen, as this is what I memorized the most for you!"_

"With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care."

She bowed to the audience, whispering a "thank you" to the Head Nurse, who nodded and placed the cap onto her head, shaking her hand afterwards. "Congratulations, Nurse Chiba." She said.

"_Nurse Chiba."_ The words were echoing through her mind like a broken record player, and Usagi suddenly felt a bit dizzy. She nodded once more in thanks to the Head Nurse and then headed down the stairs, feeling as if her wobbly legs would give out any moment and she would drop the candle, causing a disaster as usual.

But no. She kept walking until she reached the back, by the doors, where Mamoru was grinning at her. The blonde looked up at him, speechless, and he quietly opened the door, bringing her outside towards the garden area with one hand pulling her and the other holding his index finger against his lips, making a "shh" gesture.

Once the two were outside, Mamoru turned to her. "I couldn't buy any roses or a card for you, as I had to rush back from the meeting. But it looks like I didn't miss it like I said I would, did I?"

Usagi blinked. "H-How did you-"

Mamoru laughed. "Remember _Odango?_ You always seem to underestimate me, don't you?"

The blonde pouted, "My name is not _Odango,_ Mamoru-_baka!_ How many times must we go through this?"

"Hmm, well I don't really care for that right now." He placed his hands on her shoulders, his dark eyes gleaming at hers, "No, I'd like to hear your pledge once more."

"B-But you already did!" Usagi said, confused.

"Yeah, but you kept stuttering the entire time I had no idea what you were saying." Mamoru chuckled, "Try it again."

Usagi opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, and she felt more tears start to cascade down her cheeks, which had heavy amounts of blush on them already, courtesy of Saori. "I-I solemnly pledge myself..." She could feel the familiar lump build up in her throat once again, and Usagi hiccuped, feeling Mamoru pull her into an embrace. "...before God and presence of this assembly to..." Usagi shook her head. "I-I can't..."

"It's okay, I saw you up there." Mamoru hugged her and patted her gently on the head. "But you need to work on your speaking skills, I could barely hear you!"

"S-Shut up."

"Alright, Nurse Chiba Usagi."

Usagi smiled and slowly raised her arms, wrapping them around Mamoru and pulling him closer to her. "I-I love you, Mamo-chan."

"I love you too, Usako."

* * *

_2 years later...  
_  
"Hurry up, Chiba-san! Sakura-san in Room 240 is getting impatient!"

_"G-Gomen!"_ Usagi apologized quickly, grabbing the small, orange medicine bottle from the cabinet, starting to run as quickly as her legs could carry her to the room through the clean, white hallways of the hospital, her pinned-up ponytails bouncing along with her. She burst the door open, her blue eyes wide with exhaustion. _"G-Gomen,_ Sakura-san, for being late with your medicine!" She apologized to the little brunette patient sitting in the bed, her expression shocked from the blonde's current state. "I had to take care of other patients, and quite frankly, it's rather busy today, and woo!" Usagi wiped a few drops of sweat off her forehead, exhausted, "I'm just sorry!"

"I-It's okay." The shy brunette replied shakily, frightened by the tired nurse, "A-Are you alright, nurse?"

_"Hai!"_ Usagi nodded, opening the bottle and popping out two pills. "Now, here you go!" She handed them to the patient, closing the two pills in her hand and turning towards her desk to reach her glass of water, "It's required that you have two each morning with a glass of water for your health, so...erm..." She pursed her lips, not entirely what to say to a patient who was about to have medicine, "...enjoy?"

The young woman laughed. "Thank you, Nurse Usagi."

Usagi nodded and walked out the door, her heart still leaping from the title she was given as she continued down the hallways. _"'Nurse Usagi'!"_ She thought, excited, _"It sounds so official!"  
_  
It had been two years since Usagi's capping ceremony, and now she and Mamoru were working at the same hospital, much to her happiness. Mamoru was often praised by every patient he had treated, but Usagi was just satisfied whenever anyone called her "Nurse Usagi". It would make her heart simply flutter with happiness.

_"And then possibly people will be so happy with my work, they'll call me 'Nurse Chiba'!"_ She giggled to herself, feeling her daydreams start to take over reality, _"And they'll say 'Are you truly the amazing wife of the amazing Chiba Mamoru? Of course, that's expected from such an amazing nurse!' It'll be so much-"  
_  
"Eeeep!"

Usagi turned around and caught a familiar blonde out of the corner of her eye. She blinked.

"Minako-chan?"

"Oh, Usagi-chan!" The blonde grinned, waving to her cheerfully, and Usagi noticed she was holding a white autograph book in her hands, and wore a huge shirt with a picture of a white-haired man on the front, "How are you?"

"I'm fine- why are you at the hospital and why do you have an autograph book in your hands?" Usagi asked, confused.

"Didn't you hear?" Minako half-yelped, her blue eyes shining with excitement, "The famous singer, Kou Yaten, is coming here for his treatment!"

"...who?"

"Geez, girl, keep up with the times! Stop constantly living in a world where only your precious Mamoru lives!" Minako scolded, twirling around and pointing to the image on her shirt, "He's a great singer, and he's super famous! But he has a bad condition, so he has to come here before he can start filming his new movie."

Usagi blinked again, still confused. "A star...? Here at the hospital...? Minako, I think you're delusional-"

"EEEP! THERE HE IS!" Minako screeched, and ran to a figure behind Usagi, which was already covered by female nurses and doctors. The figure half-yelled loudly, making everyone around him jump with surprise. "Gosh, can't I get a little space? I swear, all you females are alike! Always bothering me and the rest of the men in the world!"

Usagi felt her mouth twist into a pout, and she stormed up to the figure, her yellow nursing uniform swishing back and forth as she stomped, tapping him on the shoulder angrily. The young man turned around, his waist-length white hair turning with him as the anger in his green eyes immediately melted once he saw Usagi, who was fuming angrily at him. "What do you mean by 'all you females'?" She demanded, "May I remind you, sir, that _that_ is sexist! Without us females, you males would be nothing in the world! You'd have no one to share your feelings with!"

"E-Erm, Usagi-chan?" Minako lightly poked her shoulder nervously as people started to gather around to watch the commotion going on, "I-I don't think you should be saying that-"

"Without us, you'd have no idea with love is! No idea on how to control your feelings! No one to consult your fears and dreams with! No one to-"

The young man bent over and hugged Usagi tightly, bringing him close to him. Usagi blinked, her fury immediately dissolving into utter shock. "W-What?"

"I missed you so much," He whispered in her ear, "Usagi-san."

"E-Eh?" Usagi gulped and looked around as hospital staff and fans alike stared at her, confused and angry at the sudden embrace taken by the star, and she bit her lip. "L-Let me go, you star! I'm married, and I-I don't even know who you are!"

"Aw, don't act like such a stranger, Usagi-san." He whispered in her ear, tightening the embrace, "I've missed you so much after all these years."

"What's going on?" A voice asked, and Usagi turned around to see Mamoru entering the area, raising an eyebrow when he saw the star hugging his wife, who immediately started to blush deeply. She pushed Yaten away, staring at Mamoru. "M-Mamo-chan, i-it's not what you think!" She stuttered uncontrollably, "H-He just hugged me randomly, a-and-"

"Yoshiya-chan?" Mamoru asked, staring at the singer, "You're Yoshiya-chan, aren't you?"

Usagi froze. "Y-Yoshiya-chan?"

**A/N:**** Oh my goodness! Yoshiya from Chapter 11 is back! Which is kind of funny, since this is Chapter 22. . .**

**Hope you all enjoyed that chapter filled with nothing but pure fluff! Sorry it was rather short~ xD**

**Review please! :D**


	23. REWRITE! - Author's Note

**A/N:**** Heh. . .oh gosh, you guys are most likely furious at me. . .**

**First of all, I apologise. You guys have no idea how upset I am at myself for abandoning this story. I AM SO SORRY. Like, seriously. I really, truly, am. I'm an awful writer. College applications, moving, band, all that shiz has eaten up so much of my life that I have had NO time for writing. **

**That said, I have decided to completely rewrite this story. The other day, I was looking over this story and I realised how AWFUL my writing was, and how it followed the EXACT story without any actual stray or difference. The events, the kiss, the words, the script; EVERYTHING was the exact same. So here's the deal.**

**I'm going to start rewriting this entire story. Actually, I've already started the first chapter and I'm already halfway through. The story will have the same title and summary, so, that's good. Also, my summer break is to start in a week and a half, so, I'm not going to lie: after I upload the first chapter, it will be around two to three weeks until the next update. Maybe one week if we're lucky. Hehe. **

**Once the first chapter of the new story is uploaded, I will add a notice on this story, and, after a week or two, I will delete this version of the story. **

**Please listen: I am NOT forcing ANY of you to read the new one; I just thought that, as my way of apologising for abandoning this story, I'm going to rewrite it. Hopefully it will be ten times better or so. **

**Once again, I am so sorry for not updating this story, and, I promise, the first chapter of the rewrite will be out either Sunday (tomorrow) or Monday. **

**Thank you all for your patience and I hope you all have a great day!**


	24. Rewrite is up! Check Author's Profile!

**A/N:**** Hello everyone! The rewrite is officially up, just go to my author's page, and it should be there, under the exact same title as this story, without the "BEING REWRITTEN AT THE MOMENT". I apologise for being so late and I truly thank you all for being patient! I hope you all enjoy the new version!**

**Lots of love and kisses,**

**-C.**


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